Boy Band Confidential S01E02 (2026)

BRITCOM 3

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Transcript

00:00:08Let's talk about this younger generation.

00:00:10There are people who grew up with NSYNC and said, yeah, I want to do that.

00:00:15So what should they know?

00:00:17Well, what they should know is keep your eyes and ears open.

00:00:28There are so many people out there scamming people.

00:00:32There's so many people out there with false pretenses.

00:00:37And it's always that question of, who do you trust?

00:00:45My name is Steven Mooney.

00:00:48Lou Brahman made me his driver, so I had no place to go.

00:00:51And Lou's like, just come stay with me.

00:00:56So Lou had one side of the house that was completely locked off.

00:00:59And then the boys had the other side of the house.

00:01:02So at the time, it was Rich Cronin and myself in the house.

00:01:07I got very close to Rich.

00:01:08And Brian Gillis at the time.

00:01:10Rich, you know, he was the blonde hair, you know, cute one and LFO.

00:01:16We had our own rooms.

00:01:17And I guess Lou saw it as his way to just kind of, he could be any way he wanted

00:01:21to be.

00:01:21Right?

00:01:22Sort of, I wouldn't call it ownership, but he felt very comfortable, right?

00:01:27So he would come in.

00:01:29He's walking in his underwear.

00:01:33He would call you into his room or call you when he's taking a shower.

00:01:36He's like trying to read off your day to you.

00:01:38And it's like, you're in a shower.

00:01:39Can we do this later?

00:01:40He's like, no, no, no, it's super important.

00:01:41I don't want to forget it.

00:01:42So it's like, all right, let's have the conversation, I guess, you know?

00:01:49I did get approached by another person in another band.

00:01:53And we were having drinks.

00:01:55And the question was, have you let Lou blow you yet?

00:01:59And I'm like, I'm sorry, what?

00:02:01Didn't make any sense.

00:02:02Didn't compute.

00:02:03And I was like, I thought, I just blew it off like they were joking.

00:02:07I think at that age, you're just more like enamored by the stuff.

00:02:11The limo, the Rolls Royces, you know?

00:02:13I got to drive a Rolls Royce around, you know what I mean?

00:02:17It's stupid.

00:02:18In our group NSYNC, he was the wine and dine guy.

00:02:20Let me take you out, let's go to dinner, let's go take the Peter Lugers,

00:02:23we'll take you to Planet Hollywood.

00:02:24You know, looking back at it now and going, okay, we're young guys

00:02:27and, you know, hanging out with this dude.

00:02:29You kind of go, that's weird.

00:02:33So did you have any conversations with any of the others

00:02:35Just Rich.

00:02:36He pulled me on the back porch one day and he's like,

00:02:38these are the things that you can expect.

00:02:41What to look out for and what to avoid, so.

00:02:44Did he say what to avoid?

00:02:45Yeah, it was the watch the touching, watch the,

00:02:48because that will progress.

00:02:50But the thing about Lou is he was very fiercely loyal.

00:02:54And if he told you he was going to do something,

00:02:56he was going to find a way to get you involved.

00:02:59Why do you think he picked you out?

00:03:03Um, I don't know.

00:03:05I hate to say it like this and it sounds so crass,

00:03:07but it's like serial killers.

00:03:08They have their profiles that they identify with

00:03:10and that they know they can manipulate.

00:03:12And it's pretty easy to spot guys like me, right?

00:03:17They're kind of loners.

00:03:20Or he's looking for the broken family,

00:03:22because there's his way in there, too, I'm sure,

00:03:24or was his way in there.

00:03:25This one was great.

00:03:25Cool.

00:03:26Super cool.

00:03:28Have a good show, dude.

00:03:29Good to see you again.

00:03:30Thank you, too, brother.

00:03:31You never had one.

00:03:31My name is Eric Michael Estrada,

00:03:34and I am currently still in the band O-Town.

00:03:40You say your mama's lower band.

00:03:43Hell no.

00:03:44You say your grandma's lower band.

00:03:47Hell no.

00:03:48Let's go, O-Town's lower band.

00:03:49Let's go.

00:03:50That was kind of hateful.

00:03:50O-Town, on three.

00:03:52One, two, three.

00:03:52O-Town.

00:03:59I grew up in the Bronx with my mom and my grandmother.

00:04:04My mom and my biological father were divorced

00:04:08at a very early age,

00:04:09and my mom worked.

00:04:13No parent is perfect.

00:04:15She did what she could,

00:04:17and she wanted me to stay out of trouble.

00:04:19Unfortunately, like, walking the streets of New York,

00:04:22trouble finds you.

00:04:25I was getting mugged.

00:04:26I was getting beat up,

00:04:27and I was absolutely isolated,

00:04:30and the only thing that I had was my voice.

00:04:36Go down.

00:04:36We ready?

00:04:37Yeah.

00:04:37We ready?

00:04:38And they're like,

00:04:39out there, right, y'all?

00:04:40Have fun out there.

00:04:41Boop.

00:04:58I'm Ashley Parker Angel,

00:05:00known as the guy from O-Town.

00:05:04I grew up in a really small town in Northern California.

00:05:10It's like a blink-and-you-miss-it kind of city.

00:05:13Grew up skiing, snowboarding, doing a lot of outdoor stuff.

00:05:18My parents are Jehovah's Witnesses,

00:05:20and so my dad was an elder in the church, too,

00:05:23so there was, like, this pressure to be the model family in the church.

00:05:27No school dances.

00:05:29I didn't grow up celebrating birthdays or holidays,

00:05:31and, like, you don't really pursue a life on stage.

00:05:35But I always wanted to be up on stage singing.

00:05:40I ended up doing, against my dad's wishes,

00:05:44and this was a big deal,

00:05:45I booked Danny Zuko in the Community College Grease musical,

00:05:49and it was a real turning point in the relationship I had with my dad,

00:05:54and he was like,

00:05:54you're not going to live in this house and do musicals like that.

00:06:03And so I moved out to pursue my dreams.

00:06:09So, 1999, it was at this time

00:06:12that there's, like, E! News Daily or Entertainment Tonight.

00:06:17They're showing, like, Lou Pearlman's putting together his new boy band,

00:06:21and he's going around the country trying to find talent.

00:06:24If you think you could be in Backstreet Boys

00:06:26or you think you could be in the new NSYNC,

00:06:29you know, come out to the audition.

00:06:30At the time, he's in the middle of this huge lawsuit

00:06:33with, like, both of his bands.

00:06:35But all the trouble and drama with Backstreet and NSYNC

00:06:38hadn't really broke publicly.

00:06:40Lou goes, okay, well, if I did Backstreet and NSYNC,

00:06:42then he was like, well, I could do it again.

00:06:44Lou was smart because then he did a show called Making the Band.

00:06:46He created that.

00:06:47So he created that with Making the Band.

00:06:50It was a mashup between real world

00:06:53and a music competition creating a boy band.

00:06:58So here's this.

00:07:00Lou Pearlman, this Svengali of boy bands,

00:07:03has created two behemoth groups

00:07:06that are literally ruling the world right now in terms of boy band.

00:07:10Making the Band was that thing

00:07:12that was going to prove to the world that he wasn't a fluke.

00:07:15Okay, let's take it from the top.

00:07:16Making the Band was the thing

00:07:18that was going to display how good he was at what he did.

00:07:25For those that don't know about the history of O-Town,

00:07:28originally it was 25 guys that were brought to Orlando,

00:07:32and that 25 was weaned down to eight.

00:07:37And out of those eight,

00:07:39there's going to be five individuals

00:07:40chosen to be in the next boy band.

00:07:47And Lou came and said,

00:07:48here's what we're going to do.

00:07:49You're going to audition just like everybody else.

00:07:51You're going to go through the process

00:07:52just like everybody else.

00:07:53He's like, this is all made for television.

00:07:55We're going to make sure that you're in the band

00:07:56and all that, right?

00:07:58But I had to keep it a secret from everybody, right?

00:08:00So you just pretended you were a random person

00:08:02there to audition?

00:08:03Yep.

00:08:04Hello?

00:08:05Hello?

00:08:06How you doing?

00:08:06Oh, my God, that's me.

00:08:08Oh, that haircut.

00:08:09That haircut was terrible.

00:08:10That was me right there.

00:08:11Oh.

00:08:13I was so nervous to audition for making the band,

00:08:16but I was told that I was going to the next stage

00:08:19of the competition,

00:08:20which is going to be the final top 25 contestants

00:08:23from across the country.

00:08:24I've got a couple weeks to prepare.

00:08:26I go back home,

00:08:28and I actually get a call from Lou.

00:08:31And Lou says,

00:08:32don't tell anybody I'm giving you a call.

00:08:35I have really high hopes for you,

00:08:37and I think this is going to go really well for you.

00:08:39You're exactly the type of person we're looking for

00:08:42to put together a boy band like this.

00:08:44He was very charismatic,

00:08:46and at the same time,

00:08:47you're also getting this weird gut instinct

00:08:50that this doesn't feel right.

00:08:51One legs, five heads, six heads, seven.

00:08:55He's not getting any of those numbers to run.

00:08:57By the time that he had defamed me,

00:08:59he had done all these things on camera,

00:09:01just belittled me every chance he got.

00:09:03He didn't get any of those at all.

00:09:05Your head's not turning on it.

00:09:06Your feet aren't turning on it.

00:09:08Your hands aren't moving on it.

00:09:09You've got to get with it.

00:09:10I wanted to choke him

00:09:11when he was talking about this.

00:09:13And it just completely set up for failure.

00:09:15I was really upset with this, actually.

00:09:16You can see in my body language

00:09:17that I'm not happy.

00:09:18I remember this.

00:09:19I remember having that conversation

00:09:21and just having some very distinct thoughts.

00:09:23This is when the wheels

00:09:24were starting to come off the wagon,

00:09:25and this was his way of embarrassing me.

00:09:30I had access to everything.

00:09:32I probably shouldn't have done it,

00:09:33but I was so mad at the time.

00:09:34I had access to all of his files.

00:09:37I started doing some digging around myself,

00:09:40and really what came down to all of it

00:09:42was I found a bunch of pictures.

00:09:45Pictures were of him by himself

00:09:49on vacation with certain people.

00:09:53They're very compromising positions.

00:09:57Those pictures were of people

00:09:58that were within the Transcon family.

00:10:01One was in a band.

00:10:02One was a higher-level guy,

00:10:03and the other ran a division of Transcon.

00:10:06And then I started asking questions,

00:10:08and nobody liked answering the questions.

00:10:11So once I started asking questions

00:10:12of people that were outside of my circle,

00:10:14that's when things started getting really tough

00:10:16for me at Transcon.

00:10:19And all of a sudden, the phone rang,

00:10:21and that's when he started screaming at me

00:10:23about his garbage in his house.

00:10:25And that was the night that it all kind of went down.

00:10:29At this point, I was just pissed, and I was done.

00:10:33When I get there, he's walking in his robe.

00:10:37He's like, when I call, you answer.

00:10:38When I tell you to come to the house,

00:10:40you come to the house.

00:10:40You take out the trash.

00:10:44And when I was talking to him

00:10:46about the stuff I was experiencing in O-Town,

00:10:48he was very aloof with his answers.

00:10:50I finally just asked the question,

00:10:51what do I have to do to be in this band?

00:10:55My exact words to him were,

00:10:56what do I have to do to get in this band?

00:10:58And he sits back, he opens his robe,

00:11:00and there he is, and he's like,

00:11:02you're a smart boy, figure it out.

00:11:14The line was attempted to be crossed,

00:11:16but I could never look myself in the mirror

00:11:18and be that.

00:11:22This is the final cut right here.

00:11:26The night at Lou's house,

00:11:27where he told me I was a smart boy,

00:11:29figure it out,

00:11:31was the night before this.

00:11:33He cut me from the show

00:11:35the day after I said no.

00:11:36Yeah.

00:11:37Is that hard to do?

00:11:39To know that you're walking away

00:11:41from a at least million dollar contract

00:11:43at 20-something years old?

00:11:47Yeah, it was very hard.

00:11:49It was very hard.

00:11:52I went from literally living in Bay Hill,

00:11:55driving Rolls Royces,

00:11:56and being a part of this great thing, right?

00:12:00And I think that night,

00:12:01I went and stayed at my buddy's

00:12:03dorm room floor at UCF.

00:12:05And I stayed there for probably two weeks

00:12:07until I figured it out.

00:12:09I tried to talk to people

00:12:11to let them know,

00:12:11hey, this guy's not who you think he is.

00:12:14But nobody wanted to listen.

00:12:16I called every news outlet

00:12:18I possibly could.

00:12:19And they're like,

00:12:20who are you and why are you calling me?

00:12:22And if they even picked up the phone

00:12:23and then never got a return phone call.

00:12:27The guy was the magic man in Orlando.

00:12:31He's going to turn downtown around.

00:12:33We're going to give him

00:12:34all a church street.

00:12:34He's going to do all these

00:12:35amazing things down there.

00:12:37Anywhere that I went,

00:12:38I was not taken serious

00:12:39because I was just another one

00:12:40of Lou's pets.

00:12:43So I had to break away from all that.

00:12:46Luckily, I've decided to leave Orlando.

00:12:50I just wanted to chat with you guys.

00:12:51At the end of the Making the Band season,

00:12:54the moment we all sat down on the couch

00:12:56and Lou Pearlman's going to announce

00:12:58who's making the band O-Town.

00:13:00Ashley.

00:13:01Ashley Angel.

00:13:02He called my name

00:13:03and all the emotion of that

00:13:05was so raw.

00:13:07It just hit me like a ton of bricks.

00:13:09Tears just started coming to my eyes.

00:13:11This is going to change my life.

00:13:13Maybe this is going to spawn

00:13:14the greatest entertainment career

00:13:16I ever imagined.

00:13:17I do feel like Lou took a liking to me

00:13:20because Lou told me specifically,

00:13:23hey, when the cameras end the production

00:13:25and Making the Band is over

00:13:27and you're just O-Town,

00:13:28I want you to come live in my house with me.

00:13:33You know, I've got a big, massive room for you.

00:13:36You know, I've had other guys from other bands

00:13:38live with me

00:13:39and I want you to come live in my house.

00:13:41And you're like, wow,

00:13:42like Lou Pearlman wants me to move into his house?

00:13:44Like, that's crazy.

00:13:46And he was saying like,

00:13:48you're going to be the Nick Carter of the band.

00:13:49You know, you're going to be the heartthrob.

00:13:51You're going to be the Justin Timberlake.

00:13:54That feels good

00:13:55because you are kind of this version of yourself

00:13:59that's still 18

00:13:59and you're growing out of those awkward teenage years.

00:14:02And so you are trying to develop more confidence.

00:14:05But Lou was definitely isolating me.

00:14:09And then he'd say things like,

00:14:11take off your shirt.

00:14:12You know, we got to keep you in shape

00:14:13for these teen magazines.

00:14:15Let me see your abs.

00:14:16Take off your shirt.

00:14:17And so he'd come into the actual dance studio

00:14:20and say, guys,

00:14:21let's see what kind of shape you're in.

00:14:22Take off your shirts.

00:14:23In front of everybody,

00:14:24in front of producers.

00:14:26So then you kind of get conditioned

00:14:28to take off your shirt for Lou

00:14:29because on some level,

00:14:31he is cultivating this, like, look and appearance

00:14:33in the same way that Backstreet Boys were.

00:14:38I think this one cringe moment in this video,

00:14:40the wet t-shirt contest that went down

00:14:42and pouring the water on themselves,

00:14:44was Lou's thing of always saying,

00:14:47girls want to see your muscles.

00:14:48They want to see your bodies.

00:14:49And this was the Lou factor.

00:14:58This is a box or a bin

00:15:00of some keepsakes from over the years.

00:15:04I was 12 years old

00:15:05when I met Lou at his house

00:15:07and started Take 5.

00:15:09That's the first photo shoot.

00:15:14The fact that he's in the business

00:15:15of representing these, like,

00:15:18you know, teen heartthrobs,

00:15:19it's, like, not weird for him to say,

00:15:22pull up your shirt, let me see your abs,

00:15:24because, like, everyone's viewing it

00:15:25as, like, this is, like,

00:15:27he's telling you to, like, be in the gym

00:15:28and that you need to have a six-pack.

00:15:30You gotta be, you know what I mean?

00:15:30He's telling you that your arms gotta pop

00:15:32and stuff like that.

00:15:33So from that standpoint,

00:15:34it's less weird,

00:15:35and that's why he's able to get away with it

00:15:36because it's, like,

00:15:37it's almost like these are, like,

00:15:38his products.

00:15:40And at the same time,

00:15:42people are pulling you aside

00:15:44and saying, hey, you know,

00:15:45don't be alone with Lou.

00:15:47Don't go into a hotel room alone with Lou.

00:15:54One time, I remember in particular,

00:15:56he invited me into his hotel room.

00:15:59We were out on the road with O-Town,

00:16:01and I went into his room,

00:16:03and he was like,

00:16:04take off your shirt.

00:16:06And he was telling me things like,

00:16:07I can give your muscles a pump.

00:16:10In the same way as if you actually

00:16:12worked out and lifted weights,

00:16:14I can give your muscles a pump

00:16:15just by massaging you.

00:16:16So lay down on the couch.

00:16:18Let me massage your muscles.

00:16:20You'll see what I mean.

00:16:21And then Lou's giving you

00:16:22this, like, intense massage.

00:16:25And she's getting really uncomfortable.

00:16:27And something about this feels

00:16:29abusive and predatory.

00:16:42My manager was calling me

00:16:44over and over again.

00:16:46I was like, Lou,

00:16:47I got to pick up the phone.

00:16:49And he was like, where are you?

00:16:50You're not in Lou's room, are you?

00:16:51And I was like, I am.

00:16:52And he's like, get out of there.

00:16:53Like, don't be in Lou's room alone.

00:16:56And I was like, Lou, I got to go.

00:16:57And he's like, well, come back later.

00:16:58And so it was just this very odd

00:17:01situation you would find yourself

00:17:02in with Lou.

00:17:05He did it to me twice.

00:17:07He would call you into his room

00:17:10and he would have you sit down

00:17:13next to him.

00:17:13He would come up behind you

00:17:14and he would rub your back

00:17:15and put his hands on you.

00:17:19It didn't feel good.

00:17:21And I'm like, something here

00:17:23is not right.

00:17:24I think there's been a lot of shame

00:17:27around young male performers

00:17:29talking about these kind of things

00:17:30in general.

00:17:31I was not underage.

00:17:32I was an adult at the time.

00:17:36But definitely feel like

00:17:38on some level,

00:17:39what Lou did with me

00:17:40was clearly inappropriate.

00:17:44There was a lot of very

00:17:47inappropriate sexual circumstances

00:17:49that we found ourselves in with Lou.

00:17:51Kind of just chipping away at you

00:17:53to kind of lower your guard.

00:17:55We were in Germany

00:17:57and not realizing

00:17:58like we were in a brothel.

00:18:05Like there was just like

00:18:06really scantily clad women

00:18:08coming around

00:18:08like serving us all these things

00:18:10and then they're like,

00:18:11we're going to pair you up

00:18:11with this one and that

00:18:12when they go back

00:18:13to the room with you

00:18:13and we're like, what?

00:18:14Like we're literally

00:18:15at a brothel with Lou.

00:18:17One day, our manager

00:18:20was like,

00:18:20you need to talk to Rich

00:18:21about the real story with Lou.

00:18:24And just trust me,

00:18:26just have this conversation

00:18:27with Rich.

00:18:29And Rich was a close friend of mine.

00:18:31We toured in O-Town with LFO.

00:18:34We were on the road together.

00:18:36He kind of pulled me aside

00:18:38and just said like,

00:18:39here's the real story about Lou

00:18:41and here's what you need

00:18:42to watch out for.

00:18:44So Rich tells this story

00:18:46where Lou breaks the good news

00:18:48that they're going to have

00:18:49this record label meeting,

00:18:51but it's going to be overseas.

00:18:53It's going to be international.

00:18:55And he says that,

00:18:56look, you know,

00:18:58they do things differently there.

00:19:00And I don't want you

00:19:01to be caught off guard,

00:19:02but this music executive

00:19:04that's really interested

00:19:05in signing you guys

00:19:07to a record deal,

00:19:08he's going to ask you

00:19:10to go down on him.

00:19:11And I don't want you

00:19:13to be like caught off guard.

00:19:14I don't want to be shocked

00:19:15so that you can get through this.

00:19:17I'm going to let you practice

00:19:18going down on me, Rich.

00:19:22And Lou like leans back,

00:19:24you know, in his robe

00:19:25and opens his legs.

00:19:29Rich was like,

00:19:30no, Lou, I'm not doing that.

00:19:32Like, I'm not going down on you.

00:19:33And when he told me that story,

00:19:36I was just like,

00:19:36dude, that's where it's leading.

00:19:39He was propositioning.

00:19:41To these young performers,

00:19:42including me.

00:19:44Without mentioning any names,

00:19:46it does feel like

00:19:47there was one member

00:19:48of each group

00:19:49that Lou was grooming.

00:20:06And so when Rich told me that,

00:20:08I was never alone with Lou

00:20:10in a room by myself

00:20:11ever again.

00:20:14There's been a lot

00:20:15that's been ambiguous

00:20:16and swept under the rug.

00:20:18And I think a lot of people

00:20:19maybe just feel hesitant

00:20:20to share it.

00:20:22And that kind of abuse of power

00:20:23is so common in entertainment,

00:20:24but I don't think

00:20:25most people realize

00:20:26that that's what's going on

00:20:27with Lou.

00:20:29If you watch

00:20:30Making the Bin in 2000,

00:20:32we're at the pizza shop

00:20:35and we now are now learning

00:20:37that he's in a lobby

00:20:38with NSYNC.

00:20:40And we just look at each other like,

00:20:45we're screwed.

00:20:48We had a separation from Lou

00:20:50once Making the Band

00:20:52came out and aired.

00:20:53There were issues

00:20:54getting funding

00:20:55from Lou's companies.

00:20:57There were problems

00:20:58getting bills paid

00:20:59as we were out on tour.

00:21:00We eventually ended up

00:21:02cutting ties with Lou

00:21:03just like every other band.

00:21:06You can't take away from Lou

00:21:08that he was the most talented guy

00:21:10putting together boy bands

00:21:11of all time ever, period.

00:21:14There was nobody better than Lou.

00:21:17But why did you have to

00:21:18take advantage of all of us

00:21:19in the way that you did?

00:21:21Lou had something special.

00:21:23It could have been

00:21:24the next Motown.

00:21:25And it was on its way.

00:21:27And the greed

00:21:28just got in the way.

00:21:35After NSYNC sued Lou

00:21:37and left,

00:21:37they were signed

00:21:39to Jive Records.

00:21:40But they needed money

00:21:42to get out of that

00:21:43horrible, horrible contract.

00:21:45Back when NSYNC came

00:21:46and lodged their lawsuit,

00:21:47one thing I did

00:21:48before I stepped out of it,

00:21:51Max Martin had the song

00:21:53on NSYNC called

00:21:53Bye Bye Bye.

00:21:55Max Martin is a prolific

00:21:58music producer

00:21:59responsible for

00:22:00some of the biggest

00:22:01pop hits

00:22:02of a generation.

00:22:05And when the label

00:22:06was going to take

00:22:07the name away,

00:22:08Lou tried to get the song

00:22:10taken away from those five guys.

00:22:12So I didn't want that

00:22:13to happen.

00:22:14So we were asked to play

00:22:15the Radio Music Awards.

00:22:17And I said,

00:22:17the only way that they'll

00:22:18come on stage and perform

00:22:19is they have to perform

00:22:21this new song

00:22:21called Bye Bye Bye.

00:22:23So here's their new

00:22:24fast hit.

00:22:25Bye Bye Bye.

00:22:26Bye Bye.

00:22:27And it kind of was like

00:22:28an ode to,

00:22:29well, hey,

00:22:30this Bye Bye Bye

00:22:31could be the last song

00:22:32you ever hear from us.

00:22:34Even if they were going to

00:22:35get stripped of the name,

00:22:36if someone else tried

00:22:37to put it out,

00:22:38it was in the minds

00:22:39of those fans

00:22:40that these guys

00:22:41did it first.

00:22:45This was big.

00:22:46We were all like,

00:22:47oh my God,

00:22:48this is the coolest

00:22:49music video ever.

00:22:51Just the whole marionettes,

00:22:54the dows,

00:22:55the production of it.

00:22:56It felt like a really

00:22:57fresh sort of new concept

00:23:00to boy band videos.

00:23:04We're very thankful

00:23:05to all the fans out there

00:23:06who went and picked up

00:23:07the album.

00:23:07No Strings Attached

00:23:08came out in the year 2000

00:23:10and sold 2.4 million copies

00:23:13in the first week.

00:23:14Take a backseat,

00:23:15Backstreet Boys.

00:23:16Your rivals NSYNC

00:23:18now hold the record

00:23:19for album sales.

00:23:20They made a big deal

00:23:21about the fact

00:23:21that their first week

00:23:22record sales

00:23:23broke your guy's record.

00:23:24Broke and shattered.

00:23:26I think once

00:23:27No Strings Attached

00:23:29came out,

00:23:29we really settled into

00:23:31who we were as artists.

00:23:33And I loved

00:23:34how we were growing

00:23:35as artists.

00:23:36At the time,

00:23:38I thought the themes

00:23:41on that album

00:23:41were about breakups

00:23:44or saying bye, bye, bye

00:23:46to a love interest.

00:23:47But it was more symbolic

00:23:49than that.

00:23:50And it was about

00:23:50their relationship

00:23:51with Lou Pearlman.

00:23:53The No Strings Attached

00:23:55was about nobody's

00:23:56going to control us.

00:23:57We're going to be

00:23:57our own artists.

00:23:59We're going to

00:24:00control our destiny.

00:24:01You know,

00:24:02it's a fun,

00:24:03up-tempo album.

00:24:04Then the next album

00:24:05that came,

00:24:06they did 1.7,

00:24:08and so they had

00:24:08the number one

00:24:09and number two.

00:24:10Those five gorgeous guys

00:24:12whose names

00:24:12make your heart melt.

00:24:14NSYNC was at their peak.

00:24:15Get up here, NSYNC,

00:24:17and everybody get up

00:24:18out your seats

00:24:19and give them some love.

00:24:23Steven Tyler

00:24:23said to Joey,

00:24:25we were backstage,

00:24:25he goes,

00:24:25the piercing

00:24:27of the girl screaming

00:24:28reminds me of the Beatles.

00:24:30This is,

00:24:30Steven Tyler

00:24:31is basically standing here

00:24:32telling us this story

00:24:33that your group

00:24:35reminds me of

00:24:36when I saw the Beatles

00:24:37as a kid.

00:24:38And the success

00:24:39of that album

00:24:40showed that NSYNC

00:24:42didn't need Lou Pearlman

00:24:44during the whole time.

00:24:45He always wanted

00:24:46that fame.

00:24:48Lou Pearlman

00:24:49wanted fame.

00:24:50He just wanted

00:24:50to continue

00:24:51the pop factory,

00:24:52as you say.

00:24:53He made so much money

00:24:54based on his 51%

00:24:56and everything he had

00:24:57off of Backstreet

00:24:58and NSYNC.

00:25:00He moved

00:25:01to a bigger mansion

00:25:02with a pool

00:25:02and everything.

00:25:04He didn't stop

00:25:05until he got arrested.

00:25:07In 2007,

00:25:09Lou Pearlman

00:25:09is arrested

00:25:10and we find out

00:25:11that his criminal history

00:25:12started way before

00:25:14he was embezzling funds

00:25:16from the Backstreet Boys

00:25:17and NSYNC.

00:25:20Prior to any success

00:25:22with the Backstreet Boys

00:25:23and NSYNC,

00:25:25Pearlman was involved

00:25:26in a Ponzi scheme case

00:25:27where the amount of loss

00:25:29is almost unheard of.

00:25:30It was more than

00:25:311,500 victims,

00:25:33more than $300 million

00:25:34of laws

00:25:36spanning over 20 years.

00:25:38He had investors

00:25:40who were coming

00:25:41after him for money,

00:25:43banks who were coming

00:25:44after him for money.

00:25:46And a lot of the reason

00:25:47why Lou was dead set

00:25:49on boy bands.

00:25:50He needed us to win.

00:25:51He needed us to win

00:25:52for him.

00:25:53He needed us to win

00:25:54for his legacy.

00:25:55He needed us to win

00:25:56for his pocket.

00:25:57Morning, everyone.

00:25:58Boy band mogul

00:25:59Lou Pearlman

00:25:59has been arrested.

00:26:01Pearlman was picked up

00:26:02in Indonesia Thursday

00:26:03and turned over

00:26:04to the FBI.

00:26:05But the problem

00:26:06with that scheme is

00:26:07there just wasn't

00:26:08$300 million

00:26:09sitting in an account

00:26:10somewhere.

00:26:12How does over

00:26:13$300 million

00:26:14just sort of go away?

00:26:16Where the hell

00:26:17is that money?

00:26:18Bro, where is it?

00:26:25Lou Pearlman

00:26:26pled guilty

00:26:27to conspiracy,

00:26:29money laundering,

00:26:30and making false statements

00:26:31during bankruptcy proceedings.

00:26:33I felt slightly vindicated

00:26:37because, like,

00:26:37here I am

00:26:38and I've told everybody

00:26:39for years

00:26:40what this guy was doing

00:26:42and it took him

00:26:43stealing from the banks

00:26:45for him to go down.

00:26:49His assets

00:26:50were liquidated

00:26:51and he is sentenced

00:26:53to 25 years

00:26:54in federal prison.

00:27:00I was a member

00:27:01of Take Five,

00:27:02one of Lou's new bands.

00:27:05When Lou was prosecuted,

00:27:07any of Lou's assets

00:27:09that went to a trust,

00:27:10his whole estate

00:27:11that was, like,

00:27:11sold off and auctioned off

00:27:13to be able to pay back

00:27:14those victims

00:27:14included our likeness

00:27:16and our name.

00:27:18With my recordings

00:27:19and my voice

00:27:19and anything else,

00:27:21so we don't own that either.

00:27:22I don't know who does.

00:27:24I mean,

00:27:24if you go stream

00:27:26the album

00:27:27a hundred million times

00:27:28on any of the streaming services

00:27:30right now,

00:27:30I still don't get any money.

00:27:34So Lou Pearlman

00:27:35got sentenced

00:27:36to 25 years

00:27:37in federal prison.

00:27:38That's about 300 months.

00:27:41But the judge

00:27:42did something interesting

00:27:43at the end of sentencing.

00:27:45He said something like,

00:27:46I'm going to give you

00:27:46the keys to your own jail cell

00:27:48and for every million dollars

00:27:49that you bring back,

00:27:50I'm going to reduce

00:27:51your sentence by a month.

00:27:54But unfortunately,

00:27:55what Pearlman heard was,

00:27:56oh, I'm now going to start

00:27:58a reality show

00:28:00about boy bands

00:28:01from a bureau of prisons

00:28:02to get rich quick.

00:28:08He reached out to me

00:28:10from jail,

00:28:10asking me to come visit him.

00:28:13And I think maybe

00:28:14on some level,

00:28:15that's why he was

00:28:15reaching out to me.

00:28:16Because Lou was still

00:28:17at the end of the day

00:28:18the ultimate entrepreneur.

00:28:21He was always thinking

00:28:22in terms of business,

00:28:23but

00:28:26he ended up passing away

00:28:27and I never got to have

00:28:28a final conversation

00:28:29with Lou.

00:28:38Yeah, he, um,

00:28:45I loved him.

00:28:47I did.

00:28:48I love Lou.

00:28:50I can't not love him.

00:28:52Like, it's hard

00:28:53not to have loved him.

00:28:55I didn't have, like,

00:28:56a dad

00:28:57and I think Lou,

00:28:59he was a father figure

00:29:01to all of us.

00:29:02Who did I call him

00:29:03Father's Day?

00:29:05Lou.

00:29:06Yeah.

00:29:08How do you reconcile

00:29:10that the person

00:29:11who made you

00:29:12is also the person

00:29:13who broke you?

00:29:15And sadly,

00:29:17this predatory behavior

00:29:18isn't that unique.

00:29:19There are many

00:29:20bad actors

00:29:21that stole from Lou's

00:29:22playbook

00:29:23on how to make

00:29:24and create

00:29:24boy bands.

00:29:25And once you learn

00:29:27how to use young boys,

00:29:28you've created

00:29:29the opportunity

00:29:30to abuse young boys.

00:29:37That's a little dusty,

00:29:38honestly.

00:29:39Yes.

00:29:40I'm Ricky Garcia.

00:29:44Our boy band name

00:29:46was Forever In Your Mind.

00:29:53Growing up,

00:29:54I kind of idolized

00:29:55and seeing

00:29:55Backstreet Boys

00:29:56and all the boy bands

00:29:58you can think of.

00:29:58Like, I listened

00:29:59to all of them.

00:30:01And I really wanted

00:30:03to do that myself.

00:30:05Hi, my name is Ricky Garcia.

00:30:06I'm 12 years old.

00:30:08And do I say anything else?

00:30:11My family was

00:30:15pretty chaotic.

00:30:16My parents' relationship

00:30:17was really strained.

00:30:19I never fully got

00:30:20the scope

00:30:21of why they split.

00:30:22I just knew

00:30:23they would argue

00:30:23a lot.

00:30:25I was living

00:30:26in Cibolo, Texas.

00:30:30I was like 12.

00:30:32I ended up going

00:30:32to Dallas

00:30:33to do this casting call,

00:30:35you know,

00:30:35show off my talents

00:30:36to people.

00:30:38And I ended up

00:30:39meeting this man

00:30:40named Joby Hart.

00:30:41And he was a part

00:30:42of this agency.

00:30:44He had worked

00:30:45with Disney,

00:30:45Nickelodeon,

00:30:46all these, like,

00:30:46TV networks

00:30:47that I wanted

00:30:47to work with.

00:30:49He had this,

00:30:51this persona

00:30:51about him.

00:30:52He comes over,

00:30:53throws down

00:30:54a headshot

00:30:55on the table,

00:30:56and then leaves.

00:30:56I'm like,

00:30:56wait, wait, wait, wait.

00:30:57I need to talk to you.

00:30:58It was like,

00:30:59I'm going to make

00:31:00your kid famous.

00:31:00I'm going to make

00:31:01him a star.

00:31:01I believe in him.

00:31:02I really think

00:31:03there's something

00:31:04special here.

00:31:04Like, I see him

00:31:06as, like,

00:31:06the biggest kid

00:31:07ever,

00:31:08you know what

00:31:08I mean?

00:31:09So he became

00:31:11my manager.

00:31:13My mom and I

00:31:14moved to L.A.

00:31:18Joby started

00:31:19taking me

00:31:19and my mom.

00:31:20We were going

00:31:20out to, like,

00:31:21steak night dinners,

00:31:22like, probably

00:31:23once every week.

00:31:24Like, not,

00:31:26not cheap places

00:31:27at all.

00:31:28And they were,

00:31:29like, really

00:31:29expensive bottles.

00:31:32It made me feel

00:31:33like I was,

00:31:34like, living on top.

00:31:36Like, maybe,

00:31:37maybe I can be

00:31:39my family's way

00:31:40of, like,

00:31:43some success.

00:31:45Me, Ricky Garcia,

00:31:47my cousin,

00:31:48Liam Attridge,

00:31:49we were formed

00:31:50in 2013

00:31:51into a boy band

00:31:52called Forever

00:31:53In Your Mind.

00:31:53So everyone kept

00:31:54saying, oh, Joby,

00:31:55I don't know if you

00:31:55should, you know,

00:31:56do this or not.

00:31:57Like, maybe you should

00:31:57just pull the plug

00:31:58on it.

00:31:58When we started

00:31:59out doing this,

00:31:59they were so naive

00:32:01to the world

00:32:02that going into it

00:32:04has been interesting

00:32:05to see how they react.

00:32:07Joby Hart

00:32:08inks this incredible deal

00:32:10with Disney.

00:32:11They want to record

00:32:12music with them.

00:32:13They want to create

00:32:14a show about them.

00:32:16They want to put

00:32:17them on tour.

00:32:19Disney's saying,

00:32:20we want to create

00:32:20this entire universe

00:32:21around Forever

00:32:23in your mind.

00:32:23I mean,

00:32:24who's going to say

00:32:24no to that?

00:32:27We were on

00:32:28the Disney Channel.

00:32:28I was on

00:32:29Best Friends Whenever.

00:32:30About two time

00:32:31traveling girls.

00:32:32That was kind of

00:32:33the goofier character

00:32:34on the show.

00:32:36Why are you screaming?

00:32:37We're out of chips.

00:32:40After that,

00:32:41we were, like,

00:32:42so loyal to Joby.

00:32:45We are going

00:32:47to New York

00:32:49and we have

00:32:50this big show

00:32:51happening,

00:32:51the Digifest show

00:32:53where Fifth Harmony

00:32:54was performing.

00:32:55Demi Lovato

00:32:55was performing

00:32:56early 2014.

00:32:57where Joby

00:32:59was telling us

00:33:00we're going to go

00:33:00be on the Lance Bass

00:33:01show.

00:33:02We were like,

00:33:02what?

00:33:03Because I want

00:33:04you there.

00:33:06At some point

00:33:06in my career,

00:33:07I was able to

00:33:09do radio

00:33:10with Sirius XM

00:33:11and iHeart.

00:33:12It was so nice

00:33:12to have that platform

00:33:13to be able to

00:33:14get in front of the mic

00:33:15two hours a day

00:33:16live and just

00:33:17talk to these

00:33:18up-and-coming bands,

00:33:19give them some advice,

00:33:20give them the

00:33:21cautionary tales

00:33:22of the Lou Pearlmans

00:33:22of the world

00:33:23and help, you know,

00:33:25help make their

00:33:25career a little bigger.

00:33:27You're meeting up

00:33:28with one of

00:33:29boy band legend.

00:33:30You know,

00:33:31not all boy bands

00:33:32got to be on

00:33:32the Lance Bass show.

00:33:34You know,

00:33:35forever in your mind

00:33:35did.

00:33:39Joby was back then,

00:33:41I'd call him

00:33:42a father figure.

00:33:43It was very

00:33:44tight-knit.

00:33:45You know,

00:33:46it felt like family.

00:33:47I was working

00:33:48in like a recording

00:33:49studio.

00:33:50I was 24 at the time

00:33:51and Joby was introduced

00:33:53to me through

00:33:53a mutual friend.

00:33:55They mentioned

00:33:56that Joby was a manager

00:33:57for this boy band

00:33:58and they needed help

00:34:00with their socials.

00:34:03But before I went

00:34:05to meet Joby officially,

00:34:07they did give me

00:34:08some disclaimers,

00:34:10if you will.

00:34:10Like, hey,

00:34:12he really, you know,

00:34:13cares for this boy band,

00:34:15one boy in particular.

00:34:18And they didn't say

00:34:20who that boy was,

00:34:21but they just said,

00:34:22I know that he really

00:34:24has a strong relationship

00:34:25with one of them.

00:34:26And they actually said

00:34:28to me,

00:34:28but I know it's not

00:34:30anything involving

00:34:32pedophile,

00:34:33because that would

00:34:33just be weird.

00:34:35A lot of work,

00:34:36a lot of energy.

00:34:37I see him pretty much

00:34:39every day.

00:34:39I know everything

00:34:40that's going on

00:34:40in their lives.

00:34:41It's a difference

00:34:42between managing an adult

00:34:43and managing teenagers,

00:34:45because they have so

00:34:46many emotions.

00:34:50When we went on tour,

00:34:51my mom trusted Joby enough

00:34:54to let us go by ourselves.

00:34:59And my mom would go

00:35:00out of town sometimes,

00:35:03and she's like,

00:35:04okay, well,

00:35:05Joby can just take care

00:35:05of you,

00:35:06and you can just

00:35:07stay at his house.

00:35:10I started going over

00:35:11to his house a lot.

00:35:12Like, all the time,

00:35:13I would sleep over

00:35:14at his house.

00:35:16Joby helped him

00:35:17for everything.

00:35:18You know,

00:35:19paid his rent,

00:35:20paid his bills,

00:35:21paid his mom's rent,

00:35:22paid his mom's bills.

00:35:23He was so invested

00:35:24into Ricky,

00:35:26whatever Ricky wanted,

00:35:27he would do

00:35:29in return for what

00:35:30Joby wanted.

00:35:33And so it was like

00:35:34a really blurred line

00:35:35between what's the business

00:35:36and the personal life.

00:35:41In 2014,

00:35:42we went to a writing camp,

00:35:44and we went to

00:35:44Catalina Island.

00:35:45We're at Inglotreat,

00:35:47Hollywood Records set it up,

00:35:48and Ricky, Liam,

00:35:50and I,

00:35:51I'm 16,

00:35:52Ricky's 15,

00:35:53Liam's 15,

00:35:55and we got to Catalina.

00:35:57So it was just

00:35:58us three boys

00:35:59and Joby.

00:36:01I think that was

00:36:02like the first catalyst

00:36:03to where he saw

00:36:05that like,

00:36:05oh,

00:36:06if his mom's not around,

00:36:07I can really just

00:36:08take advantage

00:36:09of however I want.

00:36:13We make some great songs,

00:36:15and then it gets to

00:36:18like the last night.

00:36:21We just started partying

00:36:22and drinking.

00:36:24I had access

00:36:25at this point

00:36:26to an insane amount

00:36:28of alcohol.

00:36:31And Joby,

00:36:32he was the one

00:36:33feeding me alcohol.

00:36:36Very, very belligerently drunk

00:36:38to where,

00:36:39you know,

00:36:39Ricky's in our bedroom,

00:36:41where he's puking

00:36:42on the walls.

00:36:43I do remember

00:36:44Joby taking Ricky

00:36:45into the bathroom

00:36:46and like locking the door.

00:36:51It was my first time

00:36:52getting blackout drunk.

00:36:54I was in

00:36:55and out of a daze

00:37:00when I woke up

00:37:01in Catalina.

00:37:03I was completely

00:37:04naked under the covers.

00:37:07And Joby came

00:37:08in the room

00:37:09and he was like

00:37:11smirking at me

00:37:11like it was a funny thing.

00:37:15And I come to find out

00:37:16that Joby

00:37:19bathed me.

00:37:21so

00:37:22that was like

00:37:23the first instance

00:37:23where I have like

00:37:24zero recollection

00:37:25of what happened.

00:37:27And he was able

00:37:27to like

00:37:28you know,

00:37:29do whatever

00:37:29to me like

00:37:30and I wouldn't

00:37:31have known.

00:37:35A couple years

00:37:37into me working

00:37:38with the band,

00:37:39I started to notice

00:37:40some things

00:37:41that just seemed

00:37:42off again to me.

00:37:44We were in

00:37:45Washington, D.C.

00:37:47Joby,

00:37:48he took myself

00:37:49out to dinner.

00:37:51They were giving

00:37:52Ricky alcohol

00:37:53as well.

00:37:55At the end

00:37:56of the night,

00:37:57as soon as we all

00:37:58got to the hotel,

00:37:59Ricky was really sick

00:38:01and he needed help

00:38:02getting up to his room.

00:38:04But Joby said,

00:38:04it's fine,

00:38:05I'll just take him

00:38:05to my room.

00:38:06That one felt

00:38:07really odd to me.

00:38:11I like that party

00:38:13lifestyle.

00:38:14I get sick

00:38:16and then

00:38:18he's like,

00:38:19okay,

00:38:19you can take a shower.

00:38:21And then there was

00:38:21a moment in time

00:38:22when he would just

00:38:23like come in the

00:38:23shower with me

00:38:25because we were

00:38:26buddy-buddy.

00:38:27But there was

00:38:27just a moment

00:38:28when,

00:38:30you know,

00:38:30he would touch

00:38:31me down there

00:38:33and he would

00:38:35try to,

00:38:39you know,

00:38:43and then

00:38:46I would

00:38:49freeze up,

00:38:49honestly.

00:38:50I didn't really

00:38:51know what to do.

00:38:51I didn't want

00:38:51to make

00:38:54the situation

00:38:54uncomfortable

00:38:55for the both

00:38:56of us.

00:38:57So I just

00:38:58went along

00:38:58with it.

00:39:03There's some

00:39:04coal that you

00:39:05gave

00:39:06So you

00:39:07can take

00:39:08me out

00:39:08that grave

00:39:11I know

00:39:12I made

00:39:12a list

00:39:13of me

00:39:14I look

00:39:15at what

00:39:16he sacrificed

00:39:20Really thought

00:39:21I wasn't

00:39:21lost cause

00:39:22now I've

00:39:23been set

00:39:23free

00:39:24Yeah,

00:39:25I have been

00:39:25but

00:39:25this love

00:39:26has paid

00:39:27for me

00:39:27Can't help

00:39:28but thank

00:39:28God

00:39:29think that

00:39:30he chose

00:39:30me

00:39:30This is

00:39:31my redemption

00:39:32I am not

00:39:33the old

00:39:34me

00:39:34Thought I

00:39:35was

00:39:35lost cause

00:39:36Now I've

00:39:36been set

00:39:37free

00:39:37Yeah,

00:39:38I have been

00:39:39but

00:39:39this love

00:39:40has paid

00:39:40for me

00:39:41Can't help

00:39:41but thank

00:39:42God

00:39:42think that

00:39:43he chose

00:39:43me

00:39:44This is

00:39:44my redemption

00:39:45I'm not

00:39:46the old

00:39:47me

00:39:54I think

00:39:55when people

00:39:57are abused

00:39:58I think

00:40:00it comes

00:40:00from a

00:40:01place

00:40:01where

00:40:01maybe

00:40:02it's

00:40:02been

00:40:03normalized

00:40:05For me

00:40:06it was

00:40:07it was

00:40:07not like

00:40:08this was

00:40:09the first

00:40:09time

00:40:09like

00:40:10I had

00:40:10experienced

00:40:11it

00:40:13by somebody

00:40:14in my

00:40:14family

00:40:16when I

00:40:17was like

00:40:17really

00:40:17young

00:40:19um

00:40:21I was

00:40:22seven

00:40:22years

00:40:22old

00:40:22and

00:40:24I

00:40:24forgot

00:40:24about

00:40:25it

00:40:25for

00:40:25a

00:40:25long

00:40:25time

00:40:25and

00:40:26it

00:40:27allowed

00:40:27me

00:40:28to be

00:40:29open

00:40:29and

00:40:29vulnerable

00:40:30to

00:40:30another

00:40:31instance

00:40:32and

00:40:32situation

00:40:32where

00:40:33like

00:40:33I was

00:40:34able

00:40:34to be

00:40:34victimized

00:40:37but

00:40:37on like

00:40:38a bigger

00:40:38scale

00:40:46I

00:40:46didn't

00:40:47say

00:40:47anything

00:40:47to the

00:40:47rest

00:40:48of the

00:40:48guys

00:40:50I

00:40:50feel

00:40:50like

00:40:51it's

00:40:51just

00:40:51better

00:40:51to

00:40:51keep

00:40:51quiet

00:40:52to

00:40:53people

00:40:55now

00:40:55what

00:40:55do

00:40:55I

00:40:55do

00:40:55who

00:40:56do

00:40:56I

00:40:56talk

00:40:56to

00:40:58you

00:41:03always

00:41:03read

00:41:03about

00:41:03things

00:41:04or

00:41:04hear

00:41:04about

00:41:04these

00:41:05kind

00:41:05of

00:41:05stories

00:41:05and

00:41:05you

00:41:05would

00:41:05never

00:41:06think

00:41:06it

00:41:06could

00:41:06never

00:41:06happen

00:41:07to

00:41:07me

00:41:07it

00:41:07doesn't

00:41:08happen

00:41:08and

00:41:08it

00:41:08happened

00:41:09to

00:41:09him

00:41:10but

00:41:10he

00:41:11didn't

00:41:11want

00:41:11to

00:41:11jeopardize

00:41:12everything

00:41:12else

00:41:12that

00:41:13was

00:41:13going

00:41:13on

00:41:13but

00:41:14it

00:41:14just

00:41:14goes

00:41:14to

00:41:15show

00:41:15you

00:41:15that

00:41:15people

00:41:16that

00:41:16have

00:41:16that

00:41:16much

00:41:16power

00:41:17want

00:41:17to

00:41:17be

00:41:17able

00:41:17to

00:41:17manipulate

00:41:18you

00:41:18where

00:41:19that's

00:41:20not a

00:41:20comfortable

00:41:20thing

00:41:21and I

00:41:22think

00:41:22people

00:41:23that

00:41:23are

00:41:24struggling

00:41:24with

00:41:25things

00:41:25like

00:41:25that

00:41:26definitely

00:41:26should

00:41:26come

00:41:27out

00:41:27and

00:41:27say

00:41:27something

00:41:30Allie

00:41:31she

00:41:31came

00:41:31over

00:41:32to

00:41:32talk

00:41:32to

00:41:33me

00:41:34and

00:41:34I

00:41:35just

00:41:35was

00:41:38everything

00:41:38okay

00:41:39and

00:41:39I

00:41:39just

00:41:40I

00:41:40didn't

00:41:40want

00:41:40to

00:41:40talk

00:41:40to

00:41:40her

00:41:40I

00:41:40was

00:41:41like

00:41:41so

00:41:41silent

00:41:42and

00:41:43I

00:41:43think

00:41:43I

00:41:43was

00:41:43just

00:41:43giving

00:41:43her

00:41:43like

00:41:44one

00:41:44word

00:41:44answers

00:41:45I

00:42:08through

00:42:08the

00:42:08list

00:42:08of

00:42:09people

00:42:10as

00:42:10soon

00:42:10as

00:42:11I

00:42:11named

00:42:11Joby

00:42:13and I

00:42:14looked

00:42:14at

00:42:14her

00:42:14and I

00:42:15said

00:42:15yeah

00:42:17and I

00:42:18just

00:42:18I

00:42:19think

00:42:19I

00:42:19just

00:42:19started

00:42:19breaking

00:42:20down

00:42:20crying

00:42:22she

00:42:22said

00:42:22you

00:42:23don't

00:42:23have

00:42:23to

00:42:24you

00:42:25don't

00:42:25have

00:42:25to

00:42:25bear

00:42:25this

00:42:25alone

00:42:25anymore

00:42:29and

00:42:29it

00:42:29was

00:42:29like

00:42:29the

00:42:29first

00:42:29time

00:42:30I

00:42:30felt

00:42:30seen

00:42:33yeah

00:42:36I

00:42:37really

00:42:37had

00:42:37enough

00:42:37strength

00:42:39to

00:42:40confront

00:42:40Joby

00:42:41I

00:42:43went

00:42:44over

00:42:44to

00:42:44his

00:42:44house

00:42:45and

00:42:46I

00:42:46told

00:42:46him

00:42:46hey

00:42:47Joby

00:42:47you

00:42:48molested

00:42:48me

00:42:51and

00:42:51it

00:42:51was

00:42:52it

00:42:53was

00:42:53it

00:42:53was

00:42:53like

00:42:53oh

00:42:54my

00:42:54gosh

00:42:55I

00:42:55can't

00:42:55believe

00:42:55I

00:42:55just

00:42:55said

00:42:56that

00:42:56like

00:42:56when

00:42:56it

00:42:56came

00:42:56out

00:42:57of

00:42:58my

00:42:58mouth

00:42:58I'm

00:42:58like

00:43:00wow

00:43:10I

00:43:11think

00:43:12everything

00:43:12that

00:43:13happened

00:43:13between

00:43:14me

00:43:14and

00:43:14Joby

00:43:16made

00:43:17it

00:43:17like

00:43:17really

00:43:18hard

00:43:19to

00:43:19perform

00:43:20we

00:43:21were

00:43:21on

00:43:21a

00:43:21tour

00:43:21in

00:43:222018

00:43:22and

00:43:23then

00:43:23after

00:43:23that

00:43:23tour

00:43:24you

00:43:24know

00:43:24it

00:43:25was

00:43:25kind

00:43:25of

00:43:26over

00:43:26after

00:43:27five

00:43:28years

00:43:29Ricky

00:43:29was

00:43:3019

00:43:30and

00:43:31I

00:43:31was

00:43:31like

00:43:3120

00:43:33I

00:43:34don't

00:43:34think

00:43:34it's

00:43:34because

00:43:34we

00:43:35didn't

00:43:35want

00:43:35to

00:43:35do

00:43:35it

00:43:35anymore

00:43:38I

00:43:39think

00:43:39because

00:43:39of

00:43:39everything

00:43:40that

00:43:40happened

00:43:41you

00:43:42know

00:43:43we

00:43:44were

00:43:44all

00:43:44just

00:43:44feeling

00:43:44different

00:43:45I

00:43:45guess

00:43:49a

00:43:49lot

00:43:49of

00:43:50times

00:43:50in

00:43:50sexual

00:43:51abuse

00:43:51cases

00:43:51there

00:43:51just

00:43:52isn't

00:43:52enough

00:43:52hard

00:43:53evidence

00:43:53to

00:43:54press

00:43:54criminal

00:43:55charges

00:43:55so

00:43:55instead

00:43:56Ricky

00:43:56Garcia

00:43:57filed

00:43:57a

00:43:58civil

00:43:58lawsuit

00:43:59against

00:43:59Joe

00:43:59B

00:44:00Hart

00:44:00and

00:44:00that

00:44:01case

00:44:01finally

00:44:01went

00:44:02to

00:44:02trial

00:44:02in

00:44:032024

00:44:04I

00:44:05was

00:44:0525

00:44:05at

00:44:06that

00:44:06time

00:44:08and

00:44:10my

00:44:10goodness

00:44:11I

00:44:11was

00:44:11so

00:44:11nervous

00:44:12to

00:44:12see

00:44:12him

00:44:12in

00:44:12court

00:44:12he

00:44:13was

00:44:13representing

00:44:14himself

00:44:14he

00:44:15said

00:44:15that

00:44:15Ali

00:44:16was

00:44:16coercing

00:44:17me

00:44:17because

00:44:17he

00:44:18fired

00:44:18her

00:44:19so

00:44:20she's

00:44:20trying

00:44:21to

00:44:21make

00:44:21up

00:44:22this

00:44:22whole

00:44:22story

00:44:22about

00:44:22him

00:44:23abusing

00:44:24me

00:44:24so

00:44:25I

00:44:25can

00:44:25get

00:44:26money

00:44:26back

00:44:26and

00:44:27like

00:44:27I

00:44:27have

00:44:27evidence

00:44:28I

00:44:28have

00:44:28pictures

00:44:29of the

00:44:30nights

00:44:30that I

00:44:31was

00:44:32underage

00:44:33drinking

00:44:33and I

00:44:33was

00:44:33at a

00:44:34place

00:44:34that I

00:44:35shouldn't

00:44:36have been

00:44:36and I

00:44:37have other

00:44:38people to

00:44:38witness and to

00:44:39testify

00:44:39that you

00:44:40cannot talk

00:44:41your way out

00:44:41of like

00:44:42how are you

00:44:42going to

00:44:43explain that

00:44:51I

00:44:52I

00:44:52just

00:44:52broke

00:44:52down

00:44:52I

00:44:53was

00:44:53sobbing

00:44:53and I

00:44:54feel like

00:44:55people saw

00:44:56me

00:44:56and they

00:44:57gave an

00:44:57amount

00:44:58they

00:44:59gave an

00:45:00amount

00:45:00of

00:45:01six

00:45:01million

00:45:01dollars

00:45:02but

00:45:04granted

00:45:04I

00:45:05I

00:45:06haven't

00:45:06seen

00:45:06a dime

00:45:07of that

00:45:09money

00:45:09Joby

00:45:10filed

00:45:10for

00:45:11bankruptcy

00:45:14a couple

00:45:14years back

00:45:16before the

00:45:17trial

00:45:19and you

00:45:20know what

00:45:21if I never

00:45:21see it

00:45:21for the rest

00:45:22of my

00:45:22life

00:45:24I

00:45:24could care

00:45:25less

00:45:26because

00:45:28I'm done

00:45:29letting this

00:45:30affect me

00:45:31it makes

00:45:32you wonder

00:45:33if Ricky's

00:45:34group didn't

00:45:35have to

00:45:35endure

00:45:36these

00:45:36horrors

00:45:36behind the

00:45:37scenes

00:45:37where would

00:45:38the band

00:45:39be today

00:45:39they had

00:45:40all the

00:45:41talent

00:45:41deals

00:45:42and promise

00:45:43but their

00:45:44trajectory

00:45:44for stardom

00:45:45was derailed

00:45:47sadly

00:45:48Lou and

00:45:49Joby are

00:45:49not the

00:45:50only stories

00:45:50like this

00:45:51that we

00:45:51hear about

00:45:52Roy

00:45:53Rosello

00:45:53who was

00:45:54a member

00:45:55of a

00:45:55then member

00:45:56of the

00:45:56band

00:45:56Menudo

00:45:57Roy

00:45:58Rosello

00:45:59from Menudo

00:45:59just filed

00:46:00suit

00:46:01against

00:46:01his

00:46:01manager

00:46:01Edgardo

00:46:02Diaz

00:46:02alleging

00:46:03that he

00:46:03violently

00:46:04raped

00:46:04him

00:46:06the

00:46:22more light

00:46:23we can

00:46:23shine on

00:46:24it

00:46:24the less

00:46:24shadows

00:46:25there are

00:46:25for them

00:46:25to hide

00:46:26behind

00:46:26right

00:46:26I'm doing

00:46:27this

00:46:27not even

00:46:27for me

00:46:28I'm doing

00:46:28this

00:46:28for my

00:46:28kids

00:46:29my kids

00:46:30eventually

00:46:30want to

00:46:30get into

00:46:31the

00:46:31industry

00:46:31well

00:46:32they need

00:46:32to hear

00:46:33stories

00:46:33like

00:46:33this

00:46:33and

00:46:34know

00:46:34that

00:46:35there

00:46:35are

00:46:35bad

00:46:35people

00:46:36out

00:46:36there

00:46:36and

00:46:36just

00:46:37because

00:46:37they

00:46:37have

00:46:37money

00:46:37doesn't

00:46:37make

00:46:38them

00:46:38good

00:46:38and

00:46:38just

00:46:38because

00:46:38they

00:46:39have

00:46:39power

00:46:39doesn't

00:46:39make

00:46:39them

00:46:40good

00:46:48one

00:46:48of the

00:46:48weird

00:46:48things

00:46:49about

00:46:49us

00:46:49I

00:46:49think

00:46:50was

00:46:50we

00:46:51were

00:46:51on

00:46:51this

00:46:51rollercoaster

00:46:52of

00:46:52just

00:46:53never

00:46:53stopping

00:46:54or

00:46:54you

00:46:54think

00:46:57but

00:46:57Johnny

00:46:57writes

00:46:58it

00:46:58the

00:46:58best

00:46:59our

00:46:59manager

00:46:59our

00:46:59old

00:46:59manager

00:47:00literally

00:47:00it's

00:47:00like

00:47:00if

00:47:01you

00:47:01become

00:47:01number

00:47:01one

00:47:01and

00:47:01you're

00:47:02number

00:47:02one

00:47:02where

00:47:02are you

00:47:03going

00:47:03to

00:47:03go

00:47:03from

00:47:03there

00:47:05research

00:47:05shows

00:47:06that

00:47:06boy

00:47:06bands

00:47:07do

00:47:07have

00:47:07a

00:47:08shelf

00:47:08life

00:47:08for

00:47:09any

00:47:09of

00:47:09these

00:47:10musical

00:47:10acts

00:47:10the

00:47:11average

00:47:11time

00:47:11that

00:47:12they

00:47:12spend

00:47:12on

00:47:12top

00:47:13in

00:47:13their

00:47:13first

00:47:14run

00:47:14is

00:47:15about

00:47:156.8

00:47:15years

00:47:18we

00:47:19just

00:47:19did

00:47:19a stadium

00:47:20run

00:47:20and

00:47:20then

00:47:20we

00:47:21did

00:47:21an

00:47:27as

00:47:28a

00:47:28kid

00:47:28I

00:47:29was

00:47:29obsessed

00:47:29with

00:47:29space

00:47:30I

00:47:30had

00:47:30no

00:47:31idea

00:47:31music

00:47:31would

00:47:31lead

00:47:32me

00:47:32into

00:47:32space

00:47:33who

00:47:33knew

00:47:34and

00:47:35then

00:47:35Justin

00:47:35was

00:47:35like

00:47:35hey

00:47:36I

00:47:36want

00:47:36to

00:47:36do

00:47:36my

00:47:36own

00:47:36solo

00:47:37stuff

00:47:38at

00:47:38first

00:47:38my

00:47:39brain

00:47:39was

00:47:39like

00:47:39cool

00:47:39do

00:47:40it

00:47:40have

00:47:40fun

00:47:40great

00:47:41that

00:47:42will

00:47:42give

00:47:42us

00:47:42time

00:47:43to

00:47:43take

00:47:43a

00:47:43break

00:47:43if

00:47:43you

00:47:43guys

00:47:44want

00:47:44to

00:47:44do

00:47:44whatever

00:47:45why

00:47:46not

00:47:46try

00:47:46things

00:47:48right

00:47:48Justin

00:47:48has

00:47:48been

00:47:49performing

00:47:49since

00:47:49he

00:47:50was

00:47:57solo

00:47:57records

00:47:59why

00:47:59not

00:48:02oh

00:48:02this

00:48:03is

00:48:03interesting

00:48:03Justin

00:48:04Timberlake

00:48:05in

00:48:062002

00:48:08is

00:48:09on TRL

00:48:09as a

00:48:10solo

00:48:10artist

00:48:11with

00:48:12like

00:48:13I

00:48:13love

00:48:13you

00:48:15where

00:48:15did

00:48:15NSYNC

00:48:16go

00:48:17now

00:48:17all of a sudden

00:48:18Justin's on top

00:48:19of the world

00:48:19they haven't come

00:48:21back together

00:48:21Justin

00:48:22has been

00:48:23off doing

00:48:23his solo

00:48:23thing

00:48:24for the

00:48:24last

00:48:2415

00:48:2520

00:48:25years

00:48:26right

00:48:27that

00:48:28was

00:48:28the

00:48:28weird

00:48:28thing

00:48:28about

00:48:28it

00:48:29like

00:48:29nobody

00:48:29really

00:48:29had

00:48:30a

00:48:30conversation

00:48:30per se

00:48:31there

00:48:32was

00:48:32never

00:48:32a

00:48:33button

00:48:33there

00:48:33was

00:48:33never

00:48:33a

00:48:33goodbye

00:48:34there

00:48:34was

00:48:34never

00:48:34anything

00:48:35the

00:48:36only

00:48:36one

00:48:37time

00:48:37that

00:48:37it

00:48:37ever

00:48:38felt

00:48:38awkward

00:48:38to

00:48:39me

00:48:39ever

00:48:40was

00:48:41when

00:48:41Justin

00:48:41did

00:48:42the

00:48:42MTV

00:48:42awards

00:48:43and he

00:48:43performed

00:48:43the

00:48:44first

00:48:44time

00:48:44and

00:48:45we

00:48:45introduced

00:48:46him

00:48:46this

00:48:47kid's

00:48:48pretty

00:48:48good

00:48:48that

00:48:48kicked

00:48:48ass

00:48:50at

00:48:50that

00:48:50time

00:48:50I'm

00:48:51going

00:48:51this

00:48:51is

00:48:52some

00:48:52bullshit

00:48:52you're

00:48:53basically

00:48:53just

00:48:53pushing

00:48:54us

00:48:54aside

00:48:55a

00:48:55little

00:48:55bit

00:48:55to

00:48:56do

00:48:56this

00:48:57but

00:48:57yet

00:48:58you

00:48:58still

00:48:59want

00:48:59us

00:48:59around

00:48:59to

00:49:00introduce

00:49:00him

00:49:00I gotta

00:49:01catch my breath

00:49:02hold on

00:49:03then when we did a red carpet fan TV

00:49:05before that

00:49:06we're like all five of us are going yes all five of us are going on red carpet

00:49:09yes

00:49:10nope

00:49:11it was almost like the record company was pushing us away and making sure Justin

00:49:15was getting his his his due which again totally fine but talk to us have a

00:49:21conversation listen hey we're promoting Justin he has an album out we're not here

00:49:25for NSYNC right now I think if you would have had that conversation it would have

00:49:29been a lot easier for me personally

00:49:34and I don't believe Justin

00:49:37to be in issues as it must have been very difficult to leave your guys from a group

00:49:45somebody should have said something

00:49:49if you really think about NSYNC they were really only around four 98 99 to 2002

00:49:54it was a little this this much of time it feels like it was this much but it really wasn't

00:50:01Backstreet this new kids this boys to men this

00:50:04O-Town this

00:50:06the chemistry of the group is is one of the biggest selling points of these musical acts

00:50:12to the fans if the band can't maintain that it's going to impact their longevity as musicians

00:50:21a lot of people think that 98 Degrees broke up but we didn't break up the last time that

00:50:27we were together during our first phase was September 10th 2001 in New York City for a big

00:50:32Michael Jackson special on VH1 which is amazing for us it was like a dream there's Michael and

00:50:37Beyonce and Destiny's Child and Whitney Houston and all these legends were singing with Usher and Luther

00:50:42Vandross it's like we're making it like we're doing this

00:50:49and the next day 9-11 happens we just never got back together after that

00:50:54we were in New York that day so we changed and music changed and life changed

00:51:03there had been a saturation with these boy bands and I have some friends in radio they're like we're

00:51:09done with this we're not doing it anymore and they decided to change the landscape of how you

00:51:13proliferated your music it was weird for me because every day was the same for me with these guys for

00:51:20five or six years straight I was in Madison Square Garden and then the next two days I'm in a

00:51:27I'm at

00:51:28my house in California with two kids and a wife and I have no job there's no interview there's no

00:51:37recording session let's say this never happens again what am I gonna do

00:51:52all right I just want to go over a couple things with my so my cousin was obsessed with you

00:51:57guys

00:51:57the town and I saw her a couple weeks ago I was like guess what coming on the show we're

00:52:02gonna bring

00:52:02out I know I was like I was eight years old singing that song I want it all or nothing

00:52:07at all yes exactly

00:52:08you're so identified with being this success and no one prepares you for what comes after that

00:52:16so it's like if you're a failure try try again but what if the first thing you ever do as

00:52:22a kid is

00:52:22like one of the biggest successes in the world like what do you do after that my house was four

00:52:29acres

00:52:3010,000 square foot house lived on a lake bought the house many years ago when NSYNC was going money

00:52:36was

00:52:36coming in I asked my accountant hey are we good yeah we're great I'm okay to buy this house right

00:52:41he goes

00:52:41your kids kids kids will be fine now he was saying that as if money was still probably coming in

00:52:46you go

00:52:4810 years later after that conversation and when I go to a different new accountant I say hey man can

00:52:53you

00:52:53look at my finances and what's going on he goes you need to get out of that house or you're

00:52:56gonna go

00:52:57bankrupt I went I'm sorry what the problem is when it dries up and you're a public figure you become

00:53:05laughed at so and so went broke how stupid could you be how dumb could you be that you went

00:53:11broke

00:53:12it's not really dumb because when you start flying the way they fly and money's coming in from all

00:53:18different areas and you're taking care of people and then that resource stops you're now surviving

00:53:25I don't think it's funny this story that I don't think many people know at all this is where the

00:53:30low

00:53:30part was happening for me there was one point during Christmas they shut off the lights to my

00:53:36house because I didn't pay the bill I almost was gonna go bankrupt and I have a family this is

00:53:43when

00:53:44I am married I have two kids these are certain things that happen in normal people's lives as

00:53:50well but then you have to figure out for me how do I do this without the public even watching

00:53:55of what's

00:53:56going on I was asking people for money and funny enough the people that I asked were the people

00:54:03that mostly had the most money in life they were like can't help you so how to do some interesting

00:54:10things and put my tail between my legs as as a man to try to figure this out how to

00:54:18sell my house

00:54:20and legitimately I moved my ex-wife and my kids in with my parents for a year I lived in

00:54:28Vegas for

00:54:28almost a year busting my ass to slowly build back up kind of a career in a sense and thank

00:54:37the goodness

00:54:37Lord things were able to roll and started doing things and things came out better thank goodness

00:54:44I never thought that I would let the pressure of this lifestyle get to me where I was turning to

00:54:49drugs and alcohol but I was I worked as an actor and singer after making the band which spawned O

00:54:57-Town

00:54:58and I ended up being the lead in a Broadway show but there were a lot of moments feel like

00:55:05I had a

00:55:05quarter-life crisis I was around 26 and very aware that the 27 Club exists and that so many young

00:55:14performers have died for whatever reason around 27 and I was so identified at that point in time with my

00:55:27success and when the plug got pulled so to speak and I learned that my second record label was dropping

00:55:36me and I wouldn't be doing another album my MTV show was not going to get picked up for a

00:55:41second season

00:55:42and my relationship was also coming to an end and I was a young father I was so deathly afraid

00:55:50of being

00:55:50called washed up I was so terrified of not being able to keep up with like people's expectations

00:56:03I was sitting on the 38th floor balcony of my New York apartment

00:56:11and I literally for several hours I just thought about jumping off that balcony

00:56:26I'm really grateful that I was able to call some family and friends I leaned into health and

00:56:32wellness and I was able to really work my way out of what that felt like male musicians singers

00:56:39and entertainers have one of the highest suicide rates in the country almost 10 times higher than the

00:56:45general population men have been conditioned to bottle up their emotions to not cry to never show

00:56:53any sign of vulnerability so you can imagine a male musician who feels that pressure on an even more

00:57:02heightened level where they can't show a crack in the armor that's when people start to make really

00:57:10destructive decisions first time I tried drugs was before a video shoot in 2000 my call time was not

00:57:20until 2 a.m. it was a night shoot I literally went out to dinner with some of the boys

00:57:27took a nap woke up a

00:57:29little groggy and my buddy was there and he's like well if you're tired I've got something that you can

00:57:35take

00:57:35that'll pick you up and he pulled out the bag and I was like oh hell no no no no

00:57:41no no no I am not

00:57:42doing that shit he's like well I'm gonna use your bathroom it's right there if you want it

00:57:52I very easily could have done the video shoot without being on drugs I think in that moment I just

00:58:01caved and decided what's the worst that could happen worst things happened

00:58:13we're just three normal totally normal guys but it's like picture like three best friends going

00:58:17out on the road together and just having fun and singing with LFO Brad is his story is different he's

00:58:22been through a roller coaster of that I don't think anybody else in a boy group have has gone through

00:58:29well we started as a rap group in the early years it was rich and Brian and me and then

00:58:36Brian left

00:58:39Devin was added we wrote a lot of ourselves come on in dad what's up everybody keep in mind back

00:58:46then

00:58:46it was very unusual for a boy band to have a song they wrote on their own album you know

00:58:51summer girls

00:58:53it's an anthem it's classic this video could be shot today you know we were doing like the ocean like

00:59:01the beach scene at the end Devin and I like had arms around each other and walked in the ocean

00:59:06and it's

00:59:06really timeless with LFO summer girls definitely lived in the top ten at TRL for a long time you

00:59:15know the second single was girl on TV because rich was infatuated with Jennifer Love Hewitt oh Jennifer

00:59:23Love Hewitt I do remember this because it was Jennifer Love Hewitt was a babe back then still is

00:59:30this is nerve-wracking one more time in our third single it got added to a bunch of radio stations

00:59:37but it didn't really didn't really hit and when the sales didn't really hit nothing the label was

00:59:44like well that's that you know it's time to move on we have some news that's kind of sad to

00:59:52share with

00:59:53you at this point in time LFO as you knew it know it is over a couple years later I

01:00:06was walking

01:00:06somewhere in Florida and I got a call from Rich's brother Mike and he's like hey Brad I got some

01:00:12bad

01:00:12news which has leukemia I had heard that Richard's having trouble with his legs and so I texted him

01:00:23I said hey man I hear you're having some trouble walking I figured there's two ways to get you out

01:00:34of bed

01:00:35one is a beautiful blonde or a tour I said what do you think you want to tour again and

01:00:42then he

01:00:42didn't respond and then you know a few weeks later I found out through a fan actually that that he

01:00:48died

01:00:54so we do the burial and then

01:01:25when Rich passed it was like the same year my daughter was born and I'm like I just I just

01:01:29sat

01:01:29out of the table and just cried I know that sounds hokey because I wasn't that close to him like

01:01:36as the later years went down but I was like that's a part of my life that was just like

01:01:40very special to

01:01:40me and it was just gone and I never got to say much to him you know Devin was live

01:01:46with me and he

01:01:47was my best friend so you know we just started making music together no you can't replace Rich it's

01:01:54actually an honor so we did a tour it's amazing and come home from that and we were gonna do

01:02:07two more

01:02:08legs but I remember one day I was at my office and Alan who played acoustic guitar for us came

01:02:16in and he

01:02:16goes hey I need to talk to you man what's up he said Devin's in the hospital I was like

01:02:22what room

01:02:24you know Devin was never sick so I run up to the hospital and he's not in his bed he's

01:02:32sitting on

01:02:33the couch like meditating but then you know on the desk they have like in the list of doctors and

01:02:38then

01:02:38one of the doctors listed was oncologist and I was like oh god so he had a really rare cancer

01:02:53called

01:02:54primary adrenal cancer which uh adrenal glands like a little acorn size organ on top of your kidney and

01:03:00it just engulfed his entire kidney all right we're live from the hospital bed I told Devin I was gonna

01:03:06shoot a little video just to let people know how he's doing he's like yo give you my glasses

01:03:10surgery was great the tumor was what man like the size of a football yeah but um at that point

01:03:17it

01:03:18we found out shortly after that they had spread to his bones into his blood and uh for the next

01:03:24year

01:03:25nothing worked

01:03:47he passed away and um not only was he my bandmate but he was my best friend you know

01:03:57so at that point I went into the darkness like dark dark dark dark

01:04:04men sometimes are not vulnerable enough to realize like when they need a little bit of help

01:04:10but um it wasn't the end of it

01:04:16a couple years ago I was at home and my manager calls me up

01:04:25and he's like hey man are you ready for this I'm like yeah well I don't think you're ready for

01:04:29this

01:04:34then he goes Brian's dead

01:04:44I went into our room and I sat on the uh chair and like I cried like

01:04:52like the way I cried when Devin died

01:04:55I was like man these are just guys that I knew growing up and

01:04:58and we were part of something it was just cool and it was you know anyway sorry

01:05:08how the can this happen how is this possible that these three guys under 50 are all dead

01:05:14you know but if you look from the outside people say oh the other folks cursed it's like

01:05:22you know I don't really believe in that kind of stuff

01:05:26um who knows maybe I'm wrong maybe you know by the time this area I'm gone

01:05:33everybody thinks this side of the world is all fun

01:05:36but there's a few things that have happened during our path that's very sad and very tragic

01:05:41I think that's why as an artist they turn to other stuff alcohol to try to enhance

01:05:46whatever that feeling is because you've kind of already reached this thing and you try

01:05:49you try to it is the exact same thing of fulfilling yourself as a human being

01:06:00it just so happens this is publicly displayed

01:06:082001 Backstreet Boys are still performing

01:06:10my grandmother passed away

01:06:12she was everything to me my grandmother was pretty much my parent pick up drop off from school

01:06:20take me to my auditions take me to my dance class my acting classes all of that

01:06:25she was probably my biggest supporter when she passed I resented God I resented people places things

01:06:35I hated it I hated everything and in in my mind the best way to numb the feeling was to

01:06:46pick up a drink and that turned into drugs

01:06:50we would definitely party at AJ's all the time like he had the party house always had a blast over

01:06:55there

01:06:56but I didn't know that AJ was was dealing with any kind of addiction issues at the time

01:07:01congratulations I understand your album is number four is that right

01:07:05yeah

01:07:06with Backstreet Boys the rest of the boys at this point they were all pretty much in the

01:07:11dark about how bad I was really was

01:07:17we were supposed to throw the first pitch out baseball game and singing the national anthem so

01:07:23obviously all five of us needed to be there and I went on a bender that night and didn't want

01:07:29to

01:07:29get out of bed the next day and Kevin did not like that idea very much he broke the door

01:07:36down to

01:07:37the actual room he said to me that I was dead to him and he'll never trust me again and

01:07:45he came to us

01:07:46and said that he needed help and we've got each other's backs and the very next day I flew straight

01:07:55from Boston to Tucson Arizona and that was my first stint in treatment hi how are you guys okay if

01:08:06you're back together again after a little three-year break AJ how are you now I'm doing really well

01:08:12October 23rd of this year will be three years there is definitely a emptiness that we as addicts try to

01:08:23fill that void with external validation with external things people places and things but I know

01:08:31that the drinking and the drugs were symptoms of a real bigger issue and that bigger issue was the lack

01:08:39of

01:08:39self-esteem divorced household I needed closure as to why they separated because my whole childhood I was told it

01:08:49was because of me that my dad was jealous of me my mom just dove into me and forgot about

01:08:56him once I showed

01:08:58interest in what I showed interest in and now at that point I don't know my dad at all and

01:09:06he's alive but

01:09:07I don't know him I put out a solo project back in 09 under AJ McLean I haven't seen my

01:09:23dad in quite a while and

01:09:25um my dad's actually here tonight and uh that place got dead quiet like oh shit my dad showed up

01:09:37to that show unannounced

01:09:42and I was told right before I went on stage that my dad was there over the last couple years

01:09:47that

01:09:48I've been working on my record I wanted to write a song about what I would say to my dad

01:09:53if he were right

01:09:54in front of me and he is right in front of me tonight and this is sincerely yours

01:10:05and I could barely get through the song

01:10:14one of the best lyrics of that song is all you left me was my name

01:10:24that's a that's a bitch of a thing to say that's a

01:10:29that's a humdinger you know because it's true

01:10:39and I thought after that when I saw him after the show briefly I thought

01:10:48that's got to have said something to you

01:10:52I wanted in that moment I wanted an apology

01:10:58I wanted I wanted a lot of things

01:11:05and nothing

01:11:08didn't say a word about it

01:11:12and then again pissed me off

01:11:15and I was like all right I'm out goodbye

01:11:23what an honor it is what a beautiful day

01:11:28what another beautiful way to celebrate 20 years together

01:11:35who would have thought that when we began this journey together that this would be a stop along the way

01:11:44when it comes to rehab

01:11:46I've gone three times now

01:11:48I'm a father

01:11:49I have two daughters

01:11:52my youngest daughter saved my life

01:11:54four years ago

01:11:56came back from Miami

01:11:58still reeked like a damn bar

01:12:02tried to hug my daughter

01:12:03and she wouldn't hug me

01:12:05and I was like what's going on

01:12:08what's up baby

01:12:09she's like you don't smell like my daddy

01:12:12that one struck a nerve

01:12:15enough to wake me the f*** up

01:12:18to where

01:12:20I don't I don't want to feel that way anymore

01:12:23in 2021

01:12:24Alex announced that he was getting sober again

01:12:27for good

01:12:29this is the first time in 25 years

01:12:32I've done what has been suggested of me to do

01:12:35the meetings

01:12:36get a sponsor

01:12:37do the steps

01:12:40about three years ago

01:12:41my dad and I started talking again

01:12:42I reached out

01:12:43and we finally

01:12:46finally

01:12:47had it out

01:12:49and then

01:12:50come to find out

01:12:51what really happened

01:12:52it was just

01:12:53my mom and dad

01:12:54just stopped loving each other

01:12:55there was nothing more to it

01:12:57it had nothing to do with me

01:12:58I learned

01:12:59he's not a bad guy

01:13:00he's not

01:13:01he's actually a genius

01:13:04was in a band

01:13:06played bass

01:13:07that's how my parents met

01:13:09now I have clarity

01:13:10closure

01:13:11and a better understanding

01:13:12of one another

01:13:13what's up man

01:13:14how you doing

01:13:15I haven't seen you in a little bit

01:13:16I mean I truly

01:13:19love what I do

01:13:20for a living

01:13:22when somebody would say

01:13:23thank you

01:13:26I would want to curl up and die

01:13:29because I was like

01:13:31I don't deserve those

01:13:33I don't look

01:13:34at anything like that today

01:13:39I'm like

01:13:39you are welcome

01:13:41it was my pleasure

01:13:43and I'll do it again

01:13:45because I

01:13:46love what I do

01:13:50yeah

01:13:51no

01:13:51man

01:13:52we're busy

01:13:53gearing up for Vegas bro

01:13:54we don't really have time

01:13:55you guys are doing a tour right

01:13:56no we're doing a Vegas residency

01:13:59in 2025

01:14:00the Backstreet Boys

01:14:02just sold out

01:14:03several shows

01:14:04at the Sphere

01:14:05in Las Vegas

01:14:06and

01:14:07welcomed in

01:14:08this entire

01:14:09generation

01:14:10of fans

01:14:11that were raised

01:14:12on their music

01:14:14call them what you want

01:14:15this boy band

01:14:17is at the Sphere

01:14:19playing to 22,000 people

01:14:21a night

01:14:21selling out every show

01:14:26doing 4 million dollars

01:14:28a weekend in merchandise

01:14:30we couldn't have been

01:14:31more proud

01:14:32they single-handedly

01:14:33changed

01:14:34everything about their business

01:14:36there are acts

01:14:37that are superstars

01:14:38on the charts

01:14:39right now

01:14:40they can't do that

01:14:42I think

01:14:43we are more popular

01:14:45today

01:14:45than we were

01:14:46in 1999

01:14:47and my kids think

01:14:48like dad's the coolest

01:14:49thing in the world now

01:14:50the second to last show

01:14:51with the first leg

01:14:52of the residency

01:14:53they literally came to me

01:14:54after the show

01:14:55and said how proud they were

01:14:56and I almost lost it

01:14:58I had to go to the bathroom

01:14:59and like compose myself

01:15:00they can say

01:15:01that they're proud

01:15:02of their dad

01:15:03I never had anyone

01:15:05to say that to

01:15:07and they get to say

01:15:08it to me

01:15:09and I get to say

01:15:10it right back to them

01:15:11because I'm proud

01:15:12of them every day

01:15:15I want people

01:15:16to know

01:15:18that there are

01:15:19people out there

01:15:20that will hear you

01:15:21and that will see you

01:15:21and there's healing

01:15:23available

01:15:24this is Allie

01:15:25honestly she was

01:15:26like one of my best friends

01:15:28I was 21

01:15:29she was 28

01:15:31when we started dating

01:15:32she has been there

01:15:34for me

01:15:36and she still

01:15:37showed me grace

01:15:39when I

01:15:40I didn't think

01:15:40I deserved it

01:15:49I decided to leave

01:15:50to move to LA

01:15:51met my wife

01:15:52literally the day

01:15:53that I landed there

01:15:54we haven't been apart

01:15:55like a day since

01:15:56and that was 23 years ago

01:15:58ish right

01:15:59so I have a wonderful life

01:16:00I live very well

01:16:02and made some decent decisions

01:16:04and have three beautiful kids

01:16:05and a beautiful wife

01:16:05and you know

01:16:06couldn't imagine life

01:16:07any other way

01:16:12in 2006

01:16:13People Magazine

01:16:14was going to run

01:16:15with a cover story

01:16:16outed publicly

01:16:17by the media

01:16:19and they told me about it

01:16:21I confirmed it

01:16:22with People Magazine

01:16:22and I knew

01:16:24I didn't want to see

01:16:25the aftermath

01:16:27my career was over

01:16:28I was done

01:16:29I was never going to

01:16:30do what I wanted to do

01:16:31in this business

01:16:34but everyone took it

01:16:35the opposite route

01:16:36I mean it was the first time

01:16:37I saw

01:16:39the media

01:16:40you know

01:16:40and the talk show hosts

01:16:42talking about it

01:16:43in a way that

01:16:44it was like

01:16:45wait

01:16:45why do we care?

01:16:47like this is not

01:16:47a big deal anymore

01:16:49but yes

01:16:50when I did come out

01:16:51my parents

01:16:52kind of got run out

01:16:53of a few churches

01:16:54and even to this day

01:16:55they

01:16:55a lot of churches

01:16:57use me

01:16:57to preach hate

01:17:00and my parents

01:17:01just kept moving

01:17:01from church to church

01:17:02it was not pretty for them

01:17:04but the positives

01:17:05that came out of it

01:17:06just far

01:17:07far

01:17:08outpaced

01:17:09the negative

01:17:10so I was

01:17:11I was happy

01:17:13NSYNC

01:17:14ironically

01:17:14it was such a blessing

01:17:16if NSYNC didn't happen

01:17:16I don't know what

01:17:17would have

01:17:17because I had a girlfriend

01:17:18at the time

01:17:19would we have stayed together

01:17:20would I have just gotten

01:17:21married

01:17:22just for the sake

01:17:23of getting married

01:17:24and have kids

01:17:24and live this

01:17:25secret life

01:17:27it probably

01:17:28would have been miserable

01:17:29it would have been lonely

01:17:30it would have been a lie

01:17:31I don't know

01:17:32what would have happened

01:17:33if I did not have NSYNC

01:17:35to keep me

01:17:35just safe

01:17:40after it's all

01:17:40kind of

01:17:41gone away for a little bit

01:17:43and you have time

01:17:43to reflect on it

01:17:44you realize

01:17:44we're all very similar

01:17:45to each other

01:17:47these guys all have

01:17:49shared similar journeys

01:17:50with the same fan base

01:17:52the same kind of music

01:17:53the same TV shows

01:17:54the same regions

01:17:55the same touring schedule

01:17:57you've all seen

01:17:58the same things

01:17:59we know the camaraderie

01:18:01we know what we've

01:18:02been through together

01:18:08these guys all share

01:18:09and lived

01:18:09that myself

01:18:10you

01:18:11none of us really know

01:18:12unless you were one of them

01:18:17one of the things

01:18:18we all wanted to do

01:18:19the whole entire time

01:18:20was collaborate together

01:18:24going hey

01:18:25enough time's passed

01:18:26let's start doing

01:18:27these collaborations

01:18:28the weather's better

01:18:36than last time

01:18:37I guess

01:18:38right now

01:18:39it's my privilege

01:18:40to introduce you

01:18:41the one and only

01:18:42Mr. Grant

01:18:47I got to collaborate

01:18:48with LFO and Chris

01:18:49he's like one of my best

01:18:50friends in the world

01:18:50from NSYNC

01:18:52I got a chance

01:18:53to be a part of

01:18:53one of the most amazing

01:18:54times in music

01:18:55that is so important

01:18:57to so many fans

01:18:58Joey has his Joeyan

01:19:00friends that he brings

01:19:00people into

01:19:01back in the day

01:19:02it was unheard of

01:19:03you don't put boy bands

01:19:04together

01:19:05we toured with

01:19:06Boyz Demand

01:19:08to tour with them

01:19:09was an absolute dream

01:19:10I mean I couldn't

01:19:11have scripted

01:19:12a better way

01:19:13for us to come back

01:19:14after an 11 year break

01:19:16if the song

01:19:17meant something

01:19:17to you then

01:19:18it's going to mean

01:19:19something to you now

01:19:21people gravitate

01:19:22towards

01:19:24memory

01:19:24that time travel

01:19:26two

01:19:27three

01:19:28one

01:19:29one

01:19:43one

01:19:44one

01:20:13There's like a rebirth

01:20:14in all this, from trying to satisfy the record label,

01:20:18satisfy the teenage girls, and satisfy the managers,

01:20:22the branding agents, and the responsibilities,

01:20:26to now satisfying themselves.

01:20:38Everybody always says to yourself, you know, if you go back,

01:20:40what can you change?

01:20:43I don't think I'd change anything.

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