Lance Bass Says He is Gay - 'N Sync Member In Stable Relationship With Reichen Lehmkuhl Reality TV Star - No Comment Yet Justin Timberlake

July 26th 2006

Lance Bass

The former ‘N Sync band member, Lance Bass, said he is gay and in a “very stable” relationship with a reality TV show star. He said he kept the relationship private because he did not want it to affect the group’s popularity.

He told People Magazine “I knew that I was in this popular band and I had four other guys' careers in my hand, and I knew that if I ever acted on it or even said (that I was gay), it would overpower everything." Now he has come-out and said that he has been in a stale relationship with 32-year-old actor Reichen Lehmkuhl, winner of season four of CBS' "Amazing Race."

Bass said he feared the admission would have been “the end of ‘N Sync”. "So I had that weight on me of like, 'Wow, if I ever let anyone know, it's bad.' So I just never did."

The band ‘N Sync made it big with hits like "Bye Bye Bye" and "It's Gonna Be Me." Bass is also famous for taking and astronaut training course and failing to raise the money for a trip into space.

The other ‘N Sync band members include Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick. AP reports that Bass and Fatone, 29, are developing a sitcom pilot inspired by the screwball comedy "The Odd Couple," in which his character will be gay.

When asked why it took him so long to make his sexuality public, Bass explained "The thing is, I'm not ashamed –- that's the one thing I went to say. I don't think it's wrong, I'm not devastated going through this. I'm more liberated and happy than I've been my whole life. I'm just happy."