Boy Band Confidential Season 1 Episode 2

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Boy Band Confidential Season 1 Episode 2  Ready to dive deeper into the secrets of the music industry's most electrifying phenomena? Boy Band Confidential Season 1, Episode 2, uncovers the raw, unfiltered truth behind the manufactured magic that captivated millions.  This episode pulls back the curtain to reveal the intense pressures, rivalries, and sacrifices that defined the journey for these pop sensations. Explore the intricate dance between artistic vision and commercial demands, and discover how these groups navigated the treacherous waters of fame, fan expectations, and personal identity.  We dissect the strategies that propelled them to superstardom and the hidden costs of living under the spotlight. Get ready for a compelling look at the realities behind the headlines.  #BoyBandConfidential #MusicIndustrySecrets #PopMusic

Transcript

00:00:00Lou Pearlman, creator of...

00:00:03Backstreet Boys.

00:00:04NSYNC.

00:00:05LFO.

00:00:05Take five.

00:00:06Literally ruling the world right now in terms of boy band.

00:00:10I've never seen a music contract before.

00:00:12Lou always was a 51% owner, but he was also...

00:00:17Whoa, whoa, whoa.

00:00:18What, Lou's a member of the band now?

00:00:22When we split from Lou, it hurt different levels for each of us.

00:00:27In that time, I don't know my dad.

00:00:29At all.

00:00:31Lou was gonna crank out boy band after boy band after boy band.

00:00:35And he did.

00:00:36That's not even the dark period.

00:00:39Things get a lot darker and a lot more bleak.

00:00:44He goes, you're gonna go bankrupt.

00:00:46I went, I'm sorry, what?

00:00:48He said, you yell at God, like, please don't take him.

00:00:51Please don't take him.

00:00:57It's just getting really uncomfortable.

00:01:02You're also getting this weird gut instinct that this doesn't feel right.

00:01:09A Backstreet Boys!

00:01:14We love our fans, that's why we're here.

00:01:31Let's talk about this younger generation.

00:01:33There are people who grew up with NSYNC and said, yeah, I want to do that.

00:01:38So what should they know?

00:01:40Well, what they should know is keep your eyes and ears open.

00:01:51There are so many people out there scamming people.

00:01:55There's so many people out there with false pretenses.

00:02:00And it's always that question of, who do you trust?

00:02:08My name is Steven Mooney.

00:02:11Lou Broman made me his driver.

00:02:13So I had no place to go and Lou's like, just come stay with me.

00:02:19So Lou had one side of the house that was completely locked off and then the boys had the other

00:02:23side of the house.

00:02:26So at the time it was Rich Cronin and myself in the house.

00:02:30I got very close to Rich and Brian Gillis at the time.

00:02:33Rich, you know, he was the blonde hair, you know, cute one and LFO.

00:02:39We had our own rooms.

00:02:40And I guess Lou saw it as his way to just kind of, he could be any way he wanted

00:02:44to be, right?

00:02:45Sort of, I wouldn't call it ownership, but he felt very comfortable, right?

00:02:50So he would come in, he's walking in his underwear.

00:02:56He would call you into his room or call you when he's taking a shower.

00:02:59And he's like trying to read off your day to you.

00:03:01And it's like, you're in the shower. Can we do this later?

00:03:03He's like, no, no, no, it's super important. I don't want to forget it.

00:03:05So it's like, all right, let's have the conversation, I guess, you know?

00:03:13I did get approached by another person in another band and we were having drinks.

00:03:18And the question was, have you let, have you let Lou blow you yet?

00:03:22And I'm like, I'm sorry, what?

00:03:25Didn't make any sense, didn't compute.

00:03:26And I was like, I thought, I just blew it off like they were joking.

00:03:30I think at that age, you're just more like enamored by the stuff.

00:03:34The limo, the Rolls Royces, you know?

00:03:37I got to drive a Rolls Royce around, you know what I mean?

00:03:40It's stupid.

00:03:41In our group NSYNC, he was the wine and dine guy.

00:03:43Let me take you out, let's go to dinner, let's go take the Peter Lugers,

00:03:46we'll take you to Planet Hollywood.

00:03:47You know, looking back at it now and going, okay, we're young guys

00:03:51and, you know, hanging out with this dude.

00:03:53You kind of go, that's weird.

00:03:56So did you have any conversations with any of the others?

00:03:58Just Rich.

00:03:59He pulled me on the back porch one day and he's like,

00:04:01these are the things that you can expect.

00:04:04What to look out for and what to avoid, so.

00:04:07Did he say what to avoid?

00:04:08Yeah, it was the watch the touching, watch the, because that will progress.

00:04:14But the thing about Lou is he was very fiercely loyal.

00:04:17And if he told you he was going to do something, he was going to find a way to get

00:04:20you involved.

00:04:22Why do you think he picked you out?

00:04:26Um, I don't know.

00:04:28I hate to say it like this and it sounds so crass, but it's like serial killers.

00:04:31They have their profiles that they identify with and that they know they can manipulate.

00:04:35And it's pretty easy to spot guys like me, right?

00:04:40They're kind of loners.

00:04:44Or he's looking for the broken family because there's his way in there too, I'm sure, or was his way

00:04:48in there.

00:04:48This one is great, cool.

00:04:49Super cool.

00:04:51Have a good show, dude. Good to see you again.

00:04:53Thank you, you too, brother.

00:04:55My name is Eric Michael Estrada, and I am currently still in the band O-Town.

00:05:03Did you say your mama before, man?

00:05:05No.

00:05:06Hell no.

00:05:07Did you say your grandma before, man?

00:05:10Hell no.

00:05:12Let's go O-Town, boy, man, let's go.

00:05:13That was kind of hateful.

00:05:14O-Town on three, one, two, three.

00:05:16O-Town.

00:05:22I grew up in the Bronx with my mom and my grandmother.

00:05:28My mom and my biological father were divorced at a very early age.

00:05:33And my mom worked.

00:05:36No parent is perfect.

00:05:39She did what she could, and she wanted me to stay out of trouble.

00:05:43Unfortunately, like walking the streets of New York, trouble finds you.

00:05:48I was getting mugged, I was getting beat up, and I was absolutely isolated.

00:05:54And the only thing that I had was my voice.

00:05:59O-Town, we ready?

00:06:00Yeah.

00:06:01Yeah.

00:06:01We ready?

00:06:02And they're like out there, right, y'all?

00:06:03Have fun out there.

00:06:04Boop.

00:06:21I'm Ashley Parker Angel, known as the guy from O-Town.

00:06:28I grew up in a really small town in Northern California.

00:06:33It's like a blink and you miss it kind of city.

00:06:36I grew up skiing, snowboarding, doing a lot of outdoor stuff.

00:06:42My parents are Jehovah's Witnesses.

00:06:44And so my dad was an elder in the church, too.

00:06:46So there was like this pressure to be the model family in the church.

00:06:50No school dances.

00:06:52I didn't grow up celebrating birthdays or holidays.

00:06:54And like you don't really pursue a life on stage.

00:06:58But I always wanted to be up on stage singing.

00:07:04I ended up doing, against my dad's wishes, and this was a big deal.

00:07:08I booked Danny Zuko in the Community College Grease musical.

00:07:13And it was a real turning point in the relationship I had with my dad.

00:07:17And he was like, you're not going to live in this house and do musicals like that.

00:07:26As I moved out to pursue my dreams.

00:07:32So, 1999, it was at this time that there's like E! News Daily or Entertainment Tonight.

00:07:40They're showing like Lou Pearlman's putting together his new boy band.

00:07:44And he's going around the country trying to find talent.

00:07:47If you think you could be in Backstreet Boys or you think you could be in the new NSYNC,

00:07:52you know, come out to the audition.

00:07:53At the time, he's in the middle of this huge lawsuit with like both of his bands.

00:07:58But all the trouble and drama with Backstreet and NSYNC hadn't really broke publicly.

00:08:03Lou goes, okay, well, if I did Backstreet and NSYNC.

00:08:06Then he was like, well, I could do it again.

00:08:07Lou was smart because then he did a show called Making the Band.

00:08:09He created that.

00:08:10So, he created that with Making the Band.

00:08:13It was a mashup between real world and a music competition creating a boy band.

00:08:22So, here's this.

00:08:24Lou Pearlman, this Svengali of boy bands has created two behemoth groups that are literally ruling the world right now

00:08:32in terms of boy band.

00:08:33Making the Band was that thing that was going to prove to the world that he wasn't a fluke.

00:08:38Okay, let's take it from the top.

00:08:40Making the Band was the thing that was going to display how good he was at what he did.

00:08:48For those that don't know about the history of O-Town, originally, it was 25 guys that were brought to

00:08:55Orlando.

00:08:55And that 25 was weaned down to eight.

00:09:00And out of those eight, there's going to be five individuals chosen to be in the next boy band.

00:09:10Lou came and said, here's what we're going to do.

00:09:12You're going to audition just like everybody else.

00:09:14You're going to go through the process just like everybody else.

00:09:16He's like, this is all made for television.

00:09:18We're going to make sure that you're in the band and all that, right?

00:09:21But I had to keep it a secret from everybody, right?

00:09:23So you just pretended you were a random person there to audition.

00:09:26Yep.

00:09:28Hello?

00:09:28Hello.

00:09:29How are you doing?

00:09:30Oh my God, that's me.

00:09:32Oh, that haircut.

00:09:33That haircut was terrible.

00:09:33That was me right there.

00:09:34Oh.

00:09:36I was so nervous to audition for making the band.

00:09:39But I was told that I was going to the next stage of the competition,

00:09:43which is going to be the final top 25 contestants from across the country.

00:09:47I've got a couple weeks to prepare.

00:09:49I go back home and I actually get a call from Lou.

00:09:54And Lou says, don't tell anybody I'm giving you a call.

00:09:58I have really high hopes for you.

00:10:00And I think this is going to go really well for you.

00:10:02You're exactly the type of person we're looking for to put together a boy band like this.

00:10:07He was very charismatic.

00:10:09And at the same time, you're also getting this weird gut instinct that this doesn't feel right.

00:10:15He's got like five heads, six hands, seven.

00:10:19He's not good.

00:10:20Any of those numbers are wrong.

00:10:21By the time that he had defamed me, he had done all these things on camera,

00:10:24just belittled me every chance he got.

00:10:26Can I get any of those at all?

00:10:28I've got it.

00:10:28Your head's not turning on it.

00:10:30Your feet aren't turning on it.

00:10:31Your hands aren't moving on it.

00:10:32You've got to get with it.

00:10:33I wanted to choke him when he was talking about this.

00:10:36And it just completely set up for failure.

00:10:38I was really upset with this, actually.

00:10:39You can see in my body language that I'm not happy.

00:10:42I remember this.

00:10:43I remember having that conversation and just having some very distinct thoughts.

00:10:47This is when the wheels were starting to come off the wagon, and this was his way of embarrassing me.

00:10:54I had access to everything.

00:10:55I probably shouldn't have done it, but I was so mad at the time.

00:10:57I had access to all of his files.

00:11:00I started doing some digging around myself, and really what came down to all of it was I found a

00:11:05bunch of pictures.

00:11:08Pictures were of him by himself on vacation with certain people in very compromising positions.

00:11:19Those pictures were of people that were within the Transcon family.

00:11:24One was in a band, one was a higher-level guy, and the other ran a division of Transcon.

00:11:30And then I started asking questions, and nobody liked answering the questions.

00:11:34So once I started asking questions of people that were outside of my circle, that's when things started getting really

00:11:39tough for me at Transcon.

00:11:42And all of a sudden, the phone rang, and that's when he started screaming at me about his garbage and

00:11:48his house.

00:11:48And that was the night that it all kind of went down.

00:11:52And at this point, I was just pissed, and I was done.

00:11:56When I get there, he's walking in his robe.

00:12:00He's like, when I call, you answer.

00:12:02When I tell you to come to the house, you come to the house.

00:12:04You take out the trash.

00:12:08And when I was talking to him about the stuff I was experiencing in O-Town, he was very aloof

00:12:12with his answers.

00:12:13I finally just asked the question, what do I have to do to be in this band?

00:12:18My exact words to him were, what do I have to do to get in this band?

00:12:21And he sits back, he opens his robe, and there he is.

00:12:24And he's like, you're a smart boy, figure it out.

00:12:37The line was attempted to be crossed, but I could never look myself in the mirror and be that.

00:12:46This is the final cut right here.

00:12:49The night at Lou's house, where he told me I was a smart boy, figure it out, was the night

00:12:55before this.

00:12:56He cut me from the show the day after I said no.

00:13:00Yeah.

00:13:01Is that hard to do?

00:13:02To know that you're walking away from a at least million dollar contract at 20-something years old?

00:13:11Yeah, it was very hard.

00:13:12It was very hard.

00:13:16I went from literally living in Bay Hill, driving Rolls Royces and being a part of this great thing, right?

00:13:23And I think that night I went and stayed at my buddy's dorm room floor at UCF.

00:13:29And I stayed there for probably two weeks until I figured it out.

00:13:33I tried to talk to people to let them know this guy's not who you think he is.

00:13:37But nobody wanted to listen.

00:13:39I called every news outlet I possibly could, and they're like, who are you and why are you calling me?

00:13:45If they even picked up the phone and then never got a return phone call.

00:13:51The guy was the magic man in Orlando.

00:13:54He's going to turn downtown around.

00:13:56We're going to give him all a Church Street.

00:13:58He's going to do all these amazing things down there.

00:14:01Anywhere that I went, I was not taken serious because I was just another one of Lou's pets.

00:14:07So, I had to break away from all that.

00:14:09Luckily, I decided to leave Orlando.

00:14:13I just wanted to chat with you guys.

00:14:15At the end of the Making the Band season, the moment we all sat down on the couch and Lou

00:14:20Pearlman's going to announce who's making the band O-Town.

00:14:23Ashley. Ashley Angel.

00:14:25He called my name and all the emotion of that was so raw.

00:14:30It just hit me like a ton of bricks.

00:14:32Tears just started coming to my eyes.

00:14:34This is going to change my life.

00:14:36Maybe this is going to spawn the greatest entertainment career I ever imagined.

00:14:41I do feel like Lou took a liking to me because Lou told me specifically,

00:14:46hey, when the cameras end the production and making the band is over and you're just O-Town,

00:14:51I want you to come live in my house with me.

00:14:57You know, I've got a big, massive room for you.

00:14:59You know, I've had other guys from other bands live with me and I want you to come live in

00:15:03my house.

00:15:04And you're like, wow, like, Lou Pearlman wants me to move into his house?

00:15:08Like, that's crazy.

00:15:09And he was saying, like, you're going to be the Nick Carter of the band.

00:15:12You know, you're going to be the heartthrob.

00:15:14You're going to be the Justin Timberlake.

00:15:17That feels good because you are kind of this version of yourself that's still 18 and you're growing out of

00:15:24those awkward teenage years.

00:15:25And so you are trying to develop more confidence.

00:15:28But Lou was definitely isolating me.

00:15:32And then he'd say things like, take off your shirt.

00:15:35You know, we got to keep you in shape for these teen magazines.

00:15:38Let me see your abs. Take off your shirt.

00:15:40And so he'd come into the actual dance studio and say, guys, let's see what kind of shape you're in.

00:15:45Take off your shirts in front of everybody, in front of producers.

00:15:49So then you kind of get conditioned to take off your shirt for Lou because on some level he is

00:15:55cultivating this, like, look and appearance in the same way that Backstreet Boys were.

00:16:01I think this one cringe moment in this video, the wet t-shirt contest that went down and pouring the

00:16:06water on themselves, was Lou's thing of always saying, girls want to see your muscles.

00:16:11They want to see your bodies.

00:16:13And this was the Lou factor.

00:16:22This is a box or a bin of some keepsakes from over the years.

00:16:27I was 12 years old when I met Lou at his house and started Take 5.

00:16:32That's the first photo shoot.

00:16:37The fact that he's in the business of representing these, like, you know, teen heartthrobs, it's, like, not weird for

00:16:45him to say, pull up your shirt, let me see your abs.

00:16:47Just because, like, everyone's viewing it as, like, this is, like, he's telling you to, like, be in the gym

00:16:52and that you need to have a six pack.

00:16:53You gotta be, you know what I mean? He's telling you that your arms gotta pop and stuff like that.

00:16:56So from that standpoint, it's less weird and that's why he's able to get away with it because it's, like,

00:17:00it's almost like these are, like, his products.

00:17:03And at the same time, people are pulling you aside and saying, hey, you know, don't be alone with Lou.

00:17:10Don't go into a hotel room alone with Lou.

00:17:17One time, I remember in particular, he invited me into his hotel room.

00:17:22We were out on the road with O-Town.

00:17:25And I went into his room and he was like, take off your shirt.

00:17:29And he was telling me things like, I can give your muscles a pump.

00:17:33In the same way as if you actually worked out and lifted weights, I can give your muscles a pump

00:17:38just by massaging you.

00:17:39So lay down on the couch. Let me massage your muscles. You'll see what I mean.

00:17:44And then Lou's giving you this, like, intense massage.

00:17:48And she's getting really uncomfortable.

00:17:50And something about this feels abusive and predatory.

00:18:05My manager was calling me over and over again.

00:18:09I was like, Lou, I gotta pick up the phone.

00:18:12And he was like, where are you? You're not in Lou's room, are you?

00:18:14And I was like, I am. And he's like, get out of there.

00:18:16Like, don't be in Lou's room alone.

00:18:19And I was like, Lou, I gotta go. And he's like, well, come back later.

00:18:21And so it was just this very odd situation you would find yourself in with Lou.

00:18:28He did it to me twice.

00:18:31He would call you into his room and he would have you sit down next to him.

00:18:36And he would come up behind you and he would rub your back and put his hands on you.

00:18:43It didn't feel good. And I'm like, something here is not right.

00:18:47I think there's been a lot of shame around young male performers talking about these kind of things in general.

00:18:54I was not underage. I was an adult at the time.

00:18:59But definitely feel like, on some level, what Lou did with me was clearly inappropriate.

00:19:07There was a lot of very inappropriate sexual circumstances that we found ourselves in with Lou.

00:19:14Kind of just chipping away at you to kind of lower your guard.

00:19:19We were in Germany and not realizing, like, we were in a brothel.

00:19:28Like, there was this, like, really scantily clad women coming around, like, serving us all these things.

00:19:33And then they're like, we're going to pair you up with this one and that one.

00:19:35They go back to the room with you. And we're like, what?

00:19:37Like, we're literally at a brothel with Lou.

00:19:40One day, our manager was like, you need to talk to Rich about the real story with Lou.

00:19:47And just trust me, just have this conversation with Rich.

00:19:52And Rich was a close friend of mine.

00:19:54We toured in O-Town with LFO. We were on the road together.

00:19:59He kind of pulled me aside and just say, like, here's the real story about Lou.

00:20:04And here's what you need to watch out for.

00:20:07So Rich tells this story where Lou breaks the good news that they're going to have this record label meeting.

00:20:14But it's going to be overseas. It's going to be international.

00:20:18And he says that, look, you know, they do things differently there.

00:20:23And I don't want you to be caught off guard.

00:20:26But this music executive that's really interested in signing you guys to a record deal,

00:20:32he's going to ask you to go down on him.

00:20:34And I don't want you to be, like, caught off guard.

00:20:37I don't want to be shocked.

00:20:38So that you can get through this, I'm going to let you practice going down on me, Rich.

00:20:46And Lou, like, leans back, you know, in his robe and opens his legs.

00:20:52Rich was like, no, Lou, I'm not doing that.

00:20:55Like, I'm not going down on you.

00:20:57And when he told me that story, I was just like, dude, that's where it's leading.

00:21:02He was propositioning to these young performers, including me.

00:21:08Without mentioning any names, it does feel like there was one member of each group that Lou was grooming.

00:21:29And so when Rich told me that, I was never alone with Lou in a room by myself ever again.

00:21:37There's been a lot that's been ambiguous and swept under the rug.

00:21:41And I think a lot of people maybe just feel hesitant to share it.

00:21:45And that kind of abuse of power is so common in entertainment.

00:21:47But I don't think most people realize that that's what's going on with Lou.

00:21:53If you watch Making the Band in 2000, we're at the pizza shop.

00:21:58And we now are now learning that he's in a lobby with NSYNC.

00:22:04And we just look at each other like, we're screwed.

00:22:11We had a separation from Lou once Making the Band came out and aired.

00:22:16There were issues getting funding from Lou's companies.

00:22:19There were problems getting bills paid as we were out on tour.

00:22:24We eventually ended up cutting ties with Lou just like every other band.

00:22:30You can't take away from Lou that he was the most talented guy putting together boy bands of all time

00:22:35ever, period.

00:22:37There was nobody better than Lou.

00:22:40But why did you have to take advantage of all of us in the way that you did?

00:22:44Lou had something special that could have been the next Motown.

00:22:48And it was on its way.

00:22:50And the greed just got in the way.

00:22:58After NSYNC sued Lou and left, they were signed to Jive Records.

00:23:04But they needed money to get out of that horrible, horrible contract.

00:23:07Back when NSYNC came and lodged their lawsuit, one thing I did before I stepped out of it, Max Martin

00:23:15had the song on NSYNC called Bye Bye Bye.

00:23:17Max Martin is a prolific music producer responsible for some of the biggest pop hits of a generation.

00:23:28And when the label was going to take the name away, Lou tried to get the song taken away from

00:23:34those five guys.

00:23:35So I didn't want that to happen.

00:23:37So we were asked to play the Radio Music Awards, and I said the only way that they'll come on

00:23:42stage and perform is they have to perform this new song called Bye Bye Bye.

00:23:46So here's the new fast hit, Bye Bye Bye.

00:23:50And it kind of was like an ode to, well, hey, this Bye Bye Bye could be the last song

00:23:55you ever hear from us.

00:23:57Even if they were going to get stripped of the name, if someone else tried to put it out, it

00:24:01was in the minds of those fans that these guys did it first.

00:24:08This was big. We were all like, oh, my God, this is the coolest music video ever.

00:24:14Just the whole marionettes, the dolls, the production of it.

00:24:19It felt like a really fresh sort of new concept to boy band videos.

00:24:27We're very thankful to all the fans out there who went and picked up the album.

00:24:31No Strings Attached came out in the year 2000 and sold 2.4 million copies in the first week.

00:24:37Take a backseat, Backstreet Boys. Your rivals NSYNC now hold the record for album sales.

00:24:43They made a big deal about the fact that their first week record sales broke your guys' record.

00:24:47Broke and shattered.

00:24:49I think once No Strings Attached came out, we really settled into who we were as artists and I loved

00:24:57how we were growing as artists.

00:25:00At the time, I thought the themes on that album were about breakups or saying bye bye bye to a

00:25:09love interest.

00:25:10But it was more symbolic than that. And it was about their relationship with Luke Perlman.

00:25:17The No Strings Attached was about nobody's going to control us. We're going to be our own artists.

00:25:22We're going to control our destiny.

00:25:25You know, it's a fun, up-tempo album.

00:25:27Then the next album that came, they did 1.7. And so they had the number one and number two.

00:25:33Those five gorgeous guys whose names make your heart melt.

00:25:37NSYNC was at their peak.

00:25:38Get up here NSYNC and everybody get up out your seats and give them some love.

00:25:46Steven Tyler said to Joe, we were backstage, he goes,

00:25:49the piercing of the girl screaming reminds me of the Beatles.

00:25:53This is, Steven Tyler is basically standing here telling us this story like,

00:25:57that he, your group reminds me of when I saw the Beatles as a kid.

00:26:02And the success of that album showed that NSYNC didn't need Luke Perlman.

00:26:07During the whole time, he always wanted that fame.

00:26:12Luke Perlman wanted fame.

00:26:13He just wanted to continue the pop factory, as you say.

00:26:16He made so much money based on his 51% and everything he had off of Backstreet and NSYNC.

00:26:23He moved to a bigger mansion with a pool and everything.

00:26:27He didn't stop until he got arrested.

00:26:30In 2007, Luke Perlman is arrested.

00:26:33And we find out that his criminal history started way before he was embezzling funds from the Backstreet Boys and

00:26:40NSYNC.

00:26:43Prior to any success with the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC, Perlman was involved in a Ponzi scheme case.

00:26:50Where the amount of loss is almost unheard of.

00:26:54It was more than 1,500 victims, more than $300 million of laws spanning over 20 years.

00:27:02He had investors who were coming after him for money.

00:27:06Banks who were coming after him for money.

00:27:09And a lot of the reason why Lou was dead set on boy bands.

00:27:13He needed us to win.

00:27:15He needed us to win for him.

00:27:16He needed us to win for his legacy.

00:27:18He needed us to win for his pocket.

00:27:20Morning, everyone.

00:27:21Boy band mogul Lou Perlman has been arrested.

00:27:24Perlman was picked up in Indonesia Thursday and turned over to the FBI.

00:27:28But the problem with that scheme is there just wasn't $300 million sitting in an account somewhere.

00:27:35How does over $300 million just sort of go away?

00:27:39Where the hell is that money?

00:27:41Bro, where is it?

00:27:49Lou Perlman pled guilty to conspiracy, money laundering, and making false statements during bankruptcy proceedings.

00:27:56I felt slightly vindicated because, like, here I am and I've told everybody for years what this guy was doing.

00:28:05And it took him stealing from the banks for him to go down.

00:28:13His assets were liquidated and he is sentenced to 25 years in federal prison.

00:28:23I was a member of Take 5, one of Lou's new bands.

00:28:28When Lou was prosecuted, any of Lou's assets that went to a trust, his whole estate that was, like, sold

00:28:35off and auctioned off to be able to pay back those victims included our likeness and our name.

00:28:41With my recordings and my voice and our anything else.

00:28:44So we don't own that either. I don't know who does.

00:28:47I mean, if you go stream the album a hundred million times on any of the streaming services right now,

00:28:53I still don't get any money.

00:28:57So Lou Perlman got sentenced to 25 years in federal prison.

00:29:02That's about 300 months.

00:29:04But the judge did something interesting at the end of sentencing.

00:29:08He said something like, I'm going to give you the keys to your own jail cell and for every million

00:29:12dollars that you bring back, I'm going to reduce your sentence by a month.

00:29:17But unfortunately, what Perlman heard was, oh, I'm now going to start a reality show about boy bands from a

00:29:25bureau of prisons to get rich quick.

00:29:32He reached out to me from jail, asking me to come visit him.

00:29:36And I think maybe on some level, that's why he was reaching out to me, because Lou was still at

00:29:41the end of the day, the ultimate entrepreneur.

00:29:44He was always thinking in terms of business, but he ended up passing away and I never got to have

00:29:52a final conversation with Lou.

00:30:01Yeah, he, um, I loved him.

00:30:10I did.

00:30:11I love Lou.

00:30:14I can't not love him.

00:30:16Like, it's hard not to have loved him.

00:30:18I didn't have, like, a dad.

00:30:20And I think Lou, he was a father figure to all of us.

00:30:25Who did I call on Father's Day?

00:30:28Lou.

00:30:29Yeah.

00:30:32How do you reconcile that the person who made you is also the person who broke you?

00:30:39And sadly, this predatory behavior isn't that unique.

00:30:42There are many bad actors that stole from Lou's playbook on how to make and create boy bands.

00:30:49And once you learn how to use young boys, you've created the opportunity to abuse young boys.

00:31:00That's a little dusty, honestly.

00:31:03I'm Ricky Garcia.

00:31:07Our boy band name was Forever In Your Mind.

00:31:16Growing up, I kind of idolized and seeing Backstreet Boys and all the boy bands you can think of.

00:31:22Like, I listened to all of them.

00:31:24And I, I really wanted to do that myself.

00:31:28Hi, my name is Ricky Garcia.

00:31:29I'm 12 years old.

00:31:31And, uh, do I say anything else?

00:31:35My family was, uh, pretty chaotic.

00:31:39My parents' relationship was really strained.

00:31:42I never fully got the scope of why they split.

00:31:45I just knew they would argue a lot.

00:31:49I was living in Cibolo, Texas.

00:31:53I was, like, 12.

00:31:55I ended up going to Dallas to do this casting call, you know, show off my talents to people.

00:32:01And I ended up meeting this man named Joby Hart.

00:32:05And he was a part of this agency.

00:32:07He had worked with Disney, Nickelodeon, all these, like, TV networks that I wanted to work with.

00:32:12He had this, this persona about him.

00:32:15And he comes over, throws down a headshot on the table, and then leaves.

00:32:19And I'm like, wait, wait, wait, wait.

00:32:20I need to talk to you.

00:32:21It was like, I'm gonna make your kid famous.

00:32:23I'm gonna make him a star.

00:32:25I believe in him.

00:32:26I really think there's something special here.

00:32:28Like, I see him as, like, the biggest kid ever, you know what I mean?

00:32:32So, he became my manager.

00:32:36My mom and I moved to LA.

00:32:41Joby started taking me and my mom.

00:32:43We were going out to, like, steak night dinners, like, probably once every week.

00:32:48Like, not, not cheap places at all.

00:32:51And they were, like, really expensive bottles.

00:32:55It made me feel like I was, like, living on top.

00:32:59Like, maybe, maybe I can be my family's way of, like, some success.

00:33:09Me, Ricky Garcia, my cousin Leah Matridge.

00:33:12We were formed in 2013 into a boy band called Forever In Your Mind.

00:33:17So, everyone kept saying, oh, Joby, I don't know if you should, you know, do this or not.

00:33:20Like, maybe you should just pull the plug on it.

00:33:21When we started out doing this, they were so naive to the world.

00:33:25But going into it has been interesting to see how they react.

00:33:31Joby Hart inks this incredible deal with Disney.

00:33:34They want to record music with them.

00:33:37They want to create a show about them.

00:33:39They want to put them on tour.

00:33:42Disney's saying, we want to create this entire universe around Forever In Your Mind.

00:33:47I mean, who's going to say no to that?

00:33:50We were on the Disney Channel.

00:33:52I was on Best Friends Whenever.

00:33:53About two time-traveling girls.

00:33:56That was kind of the goofier character on the show.

00:33:59Why are you screaming?

00:34:00We're out of chips!

00:34:03After that, we were, like, so loyal to Joby.

00:34:08We are going to New York, and we have this big show happening, the Digifest Show, where Fifth Harmony was

00:34:17performing.

00:34:18Demi Lovato was performing early 2014, where Joby was telling us we're going to go be on the Lance Bass

00:34:24Show.

00:34:24And we were like, what?

00:34:26Cause I want you back!

00:34:29At some point in my career, I was able to do radio with SiriusXM and iHeart.

00:34:35It was so nice to have that platform, to be able to get in front of the mic two hours

00:34:39a day, live,

00:34:40and just talk to these up-and-coming bands, give them some advice, give them the cautionary tales of the

00:34:45Lou Perlmans of the world,

00:34:46and help, you know, help make their career a little bigger.

00:34:50You're meeting up with one of boy band legend.

00:34:53You know, not all boy bands got to be on the Lance Bass Show.

00:34:57You know?

00:34:58Forever in your mind, Ed.

00:35:02Joby, it was back then, I'd call him a father figure.

00:35:06It was very tight-knit.

00:35:08You know, it felt like family.

00:35:10I was working in, like, a recording studio.

00:35:13I was 24 at the time, and Joby was introduced to me through a mutual friend.

00:35:18They mentioned that Joby was a manager for this boy band, and they needed help with their socials.

00:35:26But before I went to meet Joby officially, they did give me some disclaimers, if you will.

00:35:34Like, hey, he really, you know, cares for this boy band.

00:35:38One boy in particular.

00:35:41And they didn't say who that boy was, but they just said, I know that he really has a strong

00:35:47relationship with one of them.

00:35:50And they actually said to me, but I know it's not anything involving pedophile, because that would just be weird.

00:35:58It's a lot of work, a lot of energy.

00:36:00I see him pretty much every day.

00:36:03I know everything that's going on in their lives.

00:36:04It's a difference between managing an adult and managing teenagers, because they have so many emotions.

00:36:13When we went on tour, my mom trusted Joby enough to let us go by ourselves.

00:36:21And my mom would go out of town sometimes.

00:36:26And she's like, OK, well, Joby can just take care of you, and you can just stay at his house.

00:36:33I started going over to his house a lot.

00:36:36Like, all the time, I would sleep over at his house.

00:36:40Joby helped him for everything.

00:36:42You know, paid his rent, paid his bills, paid his mom's rent, paid his mom's bills.

00:36:46He was so invested into Ricky, whatever Ricky wanted, he would do in return for what Joby wanted.

00:36:56And so it was, like, a really blurred line between, like, what's the business and the personal life.

00:37:04In 2014, we went to a riding camp, and we went to Catalina Island.

00:37:09We're riding retreat. Hollywood Records set it up.

00:37:11And Ricky, Liam, and I, I'm 16, Ricky's 15, Liam's 15.

00:37:18And we got to Catalina.

00:37:20So it was just us three boys and Joby.

00:37:24I think that was, like, the first catalyst to where he saw that, like, oh, if his mom's not around,

00:37:31I can really just take advantage of how, however I want.

00:37:36We make some great songs, and then it gets to, like, the last night.

00:37:44We just started partying and drinking.

00:37:47I had access at this point to an insane amount of alcohol.

00:37:54And Joby, he was the one feeding me alcohol.

00:37:59Very, very belligerently drunk to where, you know, Ricky's in our bedroom, Ricky's puking on the walls.

00:38:06I do remember Joby taking Ricky into the bathroom and, like, locking the door.

00:38:14It was my first time getting blackout drunk.

00:38:17I was in and out of a daze.

00:38:23When I woke up in Catalina, I was completely naked under the covers.

00:38:30And Joby came in the room, and he was, like, smirking at me like it was a funny thing.

00:38:38And I come to find out that Joby bathed me.

00:38:45So, that was, like, the first instance where I have, like, zero recollection of what happened.

00:38:50And he was able to, like, you know, do whatever to me, like, and I wouldn't have known.

00:38:58A couple years into me working with the band, I started to notice some things that just seemed off again

00:39:06to me.

00:39:08We were in Washington, D.C.

00:39:11Joby, he took myself out to dinner.

00:39:14They were giving Ricky alcohol as well.

00:39:18At the end of the night, as soon as we all got to the hotel, Ricky was really sick, and

00:39:24he needed help getting up to his room.

00:39:27But Joby said, it's fine, I'll just take him to my room.

00:39:29That one felt really odd to me.

00:39:34I like that party lifestyle.

00:39:38I get sick.

00:39:39And then he's like, okay, you can take a shower.

00:39:44And then there was a moment in time when he would just, like, come in the shower with me.

00:39:49Because we were buddy-buddy.

00:39:50But there was just a moment when, you know, he would touch me down there.

00:39:56And he would try to, you know, and then I would freeze up, honestly.

00:40:13I didn't really know what to do.

00:40:14I didn't want to make the situation uncomfortable for the both of us.

00:40:20So I just went along with it.

00:40:26commercial music plays

00:40:27For some call that you give

00:40:30So you can take me all that crazy

00:40:34I know I'm meaningless of me

00:40:37I look at what he sacrificed

00:40:43Really thought I wasn't lost cause

00:40:45Now I've been set free

00:40:47Yeah, I have been bought

00:40:49His love has paid for me

00:40:50Can't help but thank God

00:40:52Think that he chose me

00:40:54This is my redemption

00:40:55I am not the old me

00:40:57Thought I wasn't lost cause

00:40:59Now I've been set free

00:41:00Yeah, I have been bought

00:41:02His love has paid for me

00:41:04Can't help but thank God

00:41:06Think that he chose me

00:41:07This is my redemption

00:41:08I'm not the old me

00:41:17I think when people are abused

00:41:22I think it comes from a place where

00:41:24maybe it's been normalized

00:41:29For me, it was not like

00:41:31This was the first time

00:41:33Like I had experienced it

00:41:36By somebody in my family

00:41:39When I was like really young

00:41:44And I was seven years old

00:41:46And I forgot about it for a long time

00:41:49And it allowed me

00:41:50To be open and vulnerable

00:41:53To another instance and situation

00:41:56Where like I was able to be victimized

00:42:00But on like a bigger scale

00:42:09I didn't say anything

00:42:10To the rest of the guys

00:42:13I feel like it's just better

00:42:14To keep quiet

00:42:16To people

00:42:18Now what do I do?

00:42:19Who do I talk to?

00:42:26You always read about things

00:42:27Or hear about these kind of stories

00:42:28And you would never think

00:42:29It can never happen to me

00:42:30It can never happen

00:42:31It doesn't happen

00:42:31And it happened to him

00:42:33But he didn't want to jeopardize

00:42:35Everything else that was going on

00:42:37But it just goes to show you

00:42:38That people that have that much power

00:42:40Want to be able to manipulate you

00:42:42Where that's not a comfortable thing

00:42:45And I think people that are struggling

00:42:48With things like that

00:42:49Definitely should come out

00:42:50And say something

00:42:53Allie

00:42:54She came over to talk to me

00:42:57And I just was like

00:42:59Hey like what's going on

00:43:00You know is everything okay?

00:43:02And I just

00:43:03I didn't want to talk to her

00:43:04I was like so silent

00:43:05And I think I was just giving her

00:43:07Like one word answers

00:43:08I was

00:43:08I was being so short with her

00:43:10Because I just didn't want to talk

00:43:11I just wanted her to leave

00:43:12He wasn't really giving me eye contact

00:43:13And he was

00:43:14Kept trying to walk away from me

00:43:16While I was talking to him

00:43:17And so she just

00:43:18Was asking

00:43:20Like

00:43:21Did somebody hurt you?

00:43:22And when he said yeah

00:43:26Then I kind of got the feeling

00:43:28That it might be going

00:43:29In a different direction

00:43:30She was going through

00:43:31The list of people

00:43:33As soon as

00:43:34I named Joby

00:43:37And I looked at her

00:43:38And I said yeah

00:43:40And I just

00:43:41I think I just started

00:43:42Breaking down crying

00:43:45She said you don't have to

00:43:47You don't have to

00:43:48Bear this alone anymore

00:43:52And it was like

00:43:52The first time I felt seen

00:43:56Yeah

00:43:59I really had enough strength

00:44:03To confront Joby

00:44:06I went over to his house

00:44:09And I told him

00:44:10Hey Joby

00:44:11You molested me

00:44:14And it was

00:44:15It was

00:44:16It was like

00:44:17Oh my gosh

00:44:18I can't believe I just said that

00:44:19Like when it came out

00:44:20Of my mouth

00:44:21I'm like

00:44:23Wow

00:44:26Hey

00:44:33I think

00:44:35Everything that happened

00:44:36Between me and Joby

00:44:39Made it like

00:44:41Really hard to perform

00:44:43We were on a tour

00:44:45In 2018

00:44:45And then after that tour

00:44:47You know

00:44:48It was kind of over

00:44:50After five years

00:44:52Ricky was 19

00:44:54And I was like 20

00:44:57I don't think it's because

00:44:58We didn't want to do it anymore

00:45:02I think because of everything

00:45:03That happened

00:45:04You know

00:45:07We were all just feeling different

00:45:08I guess

00:45:12A lot of times

00:45:13In sexual abuse cases

00:45:14There just isn't enough

00:45:16Hard evidence

00:45:17To press criminal charges

00:45:18So instead

00:45:19Ricky Garcia

00:45:20Filed a civil lawsuit

00:45:22Against Joby Hart

00:45:23And that case

00:45:24Finally went to trial

00:45:25In 2024

00:45:27I was 25 at that time

00:45:31And uh

00:45:33My goodness

00:45:34I was so nervous

00:45:35To see him in court

00:45:36He was representing himself

00:45:37He said that

00:45:39Ali was coercing me

00:45:40Because he fired her

00:45:42So she's trying to

00:45:44Make up this whole story

00:45:45About him

00:45:46Abusing me

00:45:47So I can get money back

00:45:49And like

00:45:50I have evidence

00:45:51I have pictures

00:45:52Of the nights

00:45:54That I was

00:45:55Underage drinking

00:45:56And I was at a place

00:45:58That I shouldn't have been

00:45:59And I have other people

00:46:01To witness

00:46:02And to testify

00:46:03That you cannot

00:46:04Talk your way out of

00:46:05Like how are you

00:46:06Going to explain that

00:46:14I just broke down

00:46:16I was sobbing

00:46:16And I

00:46:18Feel like people saw me

00:46:19And they gave an amount

00:46:22They gave an amount

00:46:23Of six million dollars

00:46:25But

00:46:27Granted

00:46:28I

00:46:28I haven't seen

00:46:30A dime

00:46:31Of that money

00:46:32Joby filed for

00:46:34Bankruptcy

00:46:37A couple years back

00:46:39Before the trial

00:46:43And

00:46:43You know what

00:46:44If I never see it

00:46:45For the rest of my life

00:46:47I

00:46:47Could care less

00:46:49Because

00:46:52I'm done

00:46:52Letting this affect me

00:46:55It makes you wonder

00:46:56If Ricky's group

00:46:58Didn't have to endure

00:46:59These horrors

00:47:00Behind the scenes

00:47:00Where would the band

00:47:02Be today

00:47:03They had all the talent

00:47:04Deals

00:47:05And promise

00:47:06But their trajectory

00:47:07For stardom

00:47:08Was derailed

00:47:10Sadly

00:47:11Lou and Joby

00:47:12Are not the only stories

00:47:14Like this

00:47:14That we hear about

00:47:15Roy Rosello

00:47:16Who was a member

00:47:18Or a then member

00:47:19Of the band

00:47:20Menudo

00:47:20Roy Rosello

00:47:22From Menudo

00:47:23Just filed suit

00:47:24Against his manager

00:47:25Edgardo Diaz

00:47:26Alleging that he

00:47:26Violently raped him

00:47:45The more light

00:47:46We can shine on it

00:47:47The less shadows

00:47:48There are for them

00:47:49To hide behind

00:47:49Right

00:47:49I'm doing this

00:47:50Not even for me

00:47:51I'm doing this

00:47:51For my kids

00:47:52My kids

00:47:53Eventually want to

00:47:54Get into the industry

00:47:55Well they need to

00:47:56Hear stories like this

00:47:57And know that

00:47:58There are bad people

00:47:59Out there

00:47:59And just because

00:48:00They have money

00:48:00Doesn't make them good

00:48:01And just because

00:48:02They have power

00:48:02Doesn't make them good

00:48:11One of the weird things

00:48:12One of the weird things

00:48:12About us

00:48:12I think was

00:48:14We were on this

00:48:15Rollercoaster of

00:48:16Just never stopping

00:48:17Or you think

00:48:18It's never gonna stop

00:48:20But Johnny Wright said

00:48:21It the best

00:48:22Our manager

00:48:22Our old manager

00:48:23Literally it's like

00:48:23If you become number one

00:48:25And you're number one

00:48:25Where are you gonna go

00:48:26From there

00:48:28Research shows

00:48:29That boy bands

00:48:30Do have a shelf life

00:48:31For any of these

00:48:33Musical acts

00:48:34The average time

00:48:35That they spend

00:48:35On top

00:48:36In their first run

00:48:37Is about 6.8 years

00:48:41We just did a stadium run

00:48:43And then we did

00:48:44An arena tour

00:48:45And then Lance

00:48:46Had the opportunity

00:48:47To train as an astronaut

00:48:48And go into space

00:48:51As a kid

00:48:51I was obsessed with space

00:48:53I had no idea

00:48:54Music would lead me

00:48:55Into space

00:48:56Who knew

00:48:58And then Justin was like

00:48:59Hey I wanna do

00:48:59My own solo stuff

00:49:01At first my brain's like

00:49:02Cool do it

00:49:03Have fun

00:49:04Great

00:49:04That will give us

00:49:05Time to take a break

00:49:06If you guys wanna do it

00:49:07Whatever

00:49:09Why not try things

00:49:11Right

00:49:11Justin's been performing

00:49:12Since he was young

00:49:14So why not

00:49:15Do a solo album

00:49:18AJ and Nick

00:49:19From Backstreet

00:49:20Have done solo records

00:49:22Why not

00:49:25Oh this is interesting

00:49:26Justin Timberlake

00:49:28In 2002

00:49:31Is on TRL

00:49:33As a solo artist

00:49:34With

00:49:35Like I Love You

00:49:38Where did NSYNC go

00:49:40Now all of a sudden

00:49:41Justin's on top of the world

00:49:43They haven't come back together

00:49:44Justin has been off

00:49:46Doing his solo thing

00:49:47For the last 15-20 years

00:49:49Right

00:49:50That was the weird thing

00:49:51About it

00:49:52Like nobody really

00:49:53Had a conversation

00:49:54Per se

00:49:54There was never

00:49:55A button

00:49:56There was never

00:49:57A goodbye

00:49:57There was never anything

00:49:59The only one time

00:50:00That it ever felt

00:50:01Awkward to me

00:50:02Ever

00:50:03Was when

00:50:04Justin did the

00:50:05MTV Awards

00:50:06And he performed

00:50:07The first time

00:50:07And we introduced him

00:50:10And we introduced him

00:50:10This kid's pretty good

00:50:11That kicked ass

00:50:12At that time

00:50:14I'm going

00:50:14This is some bullshit

00:50:15You're basically

00:50:16Just kind of pushing us

00:50:18Aside a little bit

00:50:19To do this

00:50:20But yet

00:50:21You still want us around

00:50:23To introduce him

00:50:24I gotta catch my breath

00:50:25Hold on

00:50:26Then when we did

00:50:27A red carpet fam TV

00:50:28Before that

00:50:29We're like

00:50:30All five of us are going

00:50:31Yes

00:50:31All five of us are going

00:50:32On red carpet

00:50:32Yes

00:50:33Nope

00:50:34It was almost like

00:50:35The record company

00:50:36Was pushing us away

00:50:37And making sure

00:50:38Justin was getting

00:50:39His due

00:50:40Which again

00:50:41Totally fine

00:50:43But talk to us

00:50:44Have a conversation

00:50:45Listen

00:50:45Hey

00:50:46We're promoting Justin

00:50:47He has an album out

00:50:48We're not here

00:50:48For NSYNC right now

00:50:50I think if you would

00:50:51Have that conversation

00:50:51It would have been

00:50:52A lot easier

00:50:52For me personally

00:50:57And I don't believe Justin

00:51:00To be in his shoes

00:51:01It must have been

00:51:02Very difficult

00:51:03To leave your guys

00:51:04From a group

00:51:09Somebody should have

00:51:09Said something

00:51:12If you really think

00:51:13About NSYNC

00:51:13They were really

00:51:15Only around four

00:51:1698

00:51:1699

00:51:17To 2002

00:51:18It was a little

00:51:19This much

00:51:20Of time

00:51:20It feels like

00:51:21It was this much

00:51:22But it really wasn't

00:51:23Backstreet

00:51:24This

00:51:25New kids

00:51:25This

00:51:26Boys to men

00:51:27This

00:51:27O-Town

00:51:28This

00:51:29The chemistry

00:51:30Of the group

00:51:31Is one of the biggest

00:51:33Selling points

00:51:34Of these musical acts

00:51:35To the fans

00:51:36If the band

00:51:38Can't maintain that

00:51:39It's going to impact

00:51:41Their longevity

00:51:42As musicians

00:51:45A lot of people think

00:51:46That 98 Degrees broke up

00:51:47But we didn't break up

00:51:49The last time that we were together

00:51:51During our first phase

00:51:52Was September 10, 2001

00:51:54In New York City

00:51:55For a big Michael Jackson special

00:51:56On VH1

00:51:57Which is amazing for us

00:51:58It was like a dream

00:51:59There's Michael

00:52:00And Beyonce

00:52:01And Destiny's Child

00:52:02And Whitney Houston

00:52:03And all these legends

00:52:04We're singing with Usher

00:52:04And Luther Vandross

00:52:05It's like we're making it

00:52:06Like we're doing this

00:52:12And the next day

00:52:139-11 happens

00:52:14We just never got back together

00:52:16After that

00:52:17We were in New York that day

00:52:19So we changed

00:52:20And music changed

00:52:21And life changed

00:52:26There had been a saturation

00:52:28With these boy bands

00:52:30And I have some friends

00:52:31On radio

00:52:31They're like

00:52:32We're done with this

00:52:32We're not doing it anymore

00:52:34And they decided

00:52:35To change the landscape

00:52:36Of how you proliferated

00:52:37Your music

00:52:39It was weird for me

00:52:40Because every day

00:52:41Was the same for me

00:52:42With these guys

00:52:43For five or six years straight

00:52:45I was in Madison Square Garden

00:52:48And then the next two days

00:52:50I'm in my house in California

00:52:52With two kids and a wife

00:52:54And I have no job

00:52:57There's no interview

00:52:59There's no recording session

00:53:03Let's say this never happens again

00:53:05What am I going to do?

00:53:15All right

00:53:16I just want to go over

00:53:17A couple things

00:53:17With my

00:53:18So my cousin was obsessed

00:53:19With you guys

00:53:20The low town

00:53:21And I saw her

00:53:22A couple weeks ago

00:53:23I was like

00:53:23Guess what?

00:53:24Coming on the show

00:53:24Liquid dreams

00:53:25I know

00:53:26I was like

00:53:26I was eight years old

00:53:27Singing that song

00:53:29Want it all or nothing at all

00:53:30Yes, exactly

00:53:32You're so identified

00:53:33With being this success

00:53:35And no one prepares you

00:53:37For what comes after that

00:53:39So it's like

00:53:40If you're a failure

00:53:41Try, try again

00:53:43But what if the first thing

00:53:44You ever do as a kid

00:53:45Is one of the biggest successes

00:53:47In the world

00:53:47What do you do after that?

00:53:51My house was

00:53:52Four acres

00:53:5310,000 square foot house

00:53:55Lived on a lake

00:53:56Bought the house

00:53:57Many years ago

00:53:58When NSYNC was going

00:53:58Money was coming in

00:54:00I asked my accountant

00:54:00Hey, are we good?

00:54:02Yeah, we're great

00:54:03I'm okay to buy this house

00:54:04Right?

00:54:04He goes

00:54:04Your kids, kids, kids

00:54:05Will be fine

00:54:06Now

00:54:07He was saying that

00:54:08As if money was still

00:54:09Probably coming in

00:54:10You go ten years later

00:54:12After that conversation

00:54:13And when I go to

00:54:14A new accountant

00:54:15I say

00:54:15Hey man

00:54:16Can you look at my finances

00:54:17And what's going on?

00:54:18He goes

00:54:18You need to get out of that house

00:54:19Or you're going to go bankrupt

00:54:21I went

00:54:21I'm sorry

00:54:22What?

00:54:25The problem is

00:54:25When it dries up

00:54:26And you're a public figure

00:54:27You become laughed at

00:54:29So and so went broke

00:54:31How stupid could you be?

00:54:32How dumb could you be

00:54:34That you went broke?

00:54:35It's not really dumb

00:54:37Because

00:54:37When you start

00:54:39Flying the way they fly

00:54:40And money's coming in

00:54:41From all different areas

00:54:42And you're taking care of people

00:54:44And then that resource stops

00:54:46You're now surviving

00:54:48I don't think it's funny

00:54:50This story

00:54:51I don't think many people

00:54:52Know at all

00:54:52This is where the low part

00:54:54Was happening for me

00:54:55There was one point

00:54:56During Christmas

00:54:57They shut off the lights

00:54:58To my house

00:54:59Because I didn't pay the bill

00:55:02I almost was going to go bankrupt

00:55:04And I have a family

00:55:06This is when I am married

00:55:08I have two kids

00:55:10These are certain things

00:55:12That happen in normal

00:55:13People's lives as well

00:55:14But then you have to figure out

00:55:15For me

00:55:15How do I do this

00:55:17Without the public

00:55:18Even watching

00:55:19Of what's going on

00:55:21I was asking people

00:55:22For money

00:55:23And funny enough

00:55:24The people that I asked

00:55:26Were the people

00:55:27That mostly had

00:55:28The most money in life

00:55:29They were like

00:55:30Can't help you

00:55:31So I had to do

00:55:33Some interesting things

00:55:34Put my tail between my legs

00:55:35As a man

00:55:37To try to figure this out

00:55:41How to sell my house

00:55:43And legitimately

00:55:44I moved my ex-wife

00:55:47And my kids

00:55:48In with my parents

00:55:48For a year

00:55:50I lived in Vegas

00:55:51For almost a year

00:55:52Busting my ass

00:55:53To slowly build back up

00:55:55Kind of a career

00:55:56In a sense

00:55:59And thank the goodness

00:56:00Lord

00:56:01Things were able to roll

00:56:02And started doing things

00:56:03And things came out better

00:56:04Thank goodness

00:56:07I never thought

00:56:08That I would let

00:56:08The pressure of

00:56:10This lifestyle

00:56:11Get to me

00:56:11Where I was turning

00:56:12To drugs and alcohol

00:56:14But I was

00:56:16I worked as an actor

00:56:18And singer

00:56:18After making the band

00:56:20Which spawned O-Town

00:56:21And I ended up being

00:56:22The lead in a Broadway show

00:56:25But there were

00:56:26A lot of moments

00:56:27I felt like

00:56:28I had a quarter-life crisis

00:56:31I was around 26

00:56:32And very aware

00:56:34That the 27 Club exists

00:56:36And that so many

00:56:37Young performers

00:56:38Have died

00:56:38For whatever reason

00:56:39Around 27

00:56:46And I was so identified

00:56:48At that point in time

00:56:50With my success

00:56:53And when the plug

00:56:55Got pulled

00:56:55So to speak

00:56:56And I learned

00:56:57That my second record label

00:56:59Was dropping me

00:56:59And I wouldn't be

00:57:00Doing another album

00:57:02My MTV show

00:57:03Was not going to get

00:57:04Picked up for a second season

00:57:05And my relationship

00:57:07Was also coming to an end

00:57:08And I was a young father

00:57:10I was so deathly afraid

00:57:13Of being called

00:57:14Washed up

00:57:16I was so terrified

00:57:19Of not being able

00:57:20To keep up

00:57:20With people's expectations

00:57:26I was sitting

00:57:27On the 38th floor

00:57:29Balcony

00:57:30Of my New York apartment

00:57:34And I literally

00:57:35For several hours

00:57:38I just thought

00:57:39About jumping off

00:57:40That balcony

00:57:49I'm really grateful

00:57:50That I was able

00:57:52To call some family

00:57:53And friends

00:57:54I leaned into

00:57:55Health and wellness

00:57:56And I was able

00:57:57To really work my way

00:57:58Out of what that felt like

00:58:00Male musicians

00:58:01Singers

00:58:02And entertainers

00:58:03Have one of the

00:58:04Highest suicide rates

00:58:05In the country

00:58:06Almost ten times higher

00:58:08Than the general population

00:58:10Men have been conditioned

00:58:12To bottle up their emotions

00:58:14To not cry

00:58:15To never show

00:58:16Any sign of vulnerability

00:58:18So you can imagine

00:58:20A male musician

00:58:21Who feels that pressure

00:58:23On an even more

00:58:25Heightened level

00:58:26Where they can't show

00:58:27A crack in the armor

00:58:29That's when

00:58:30People start to make

00:58:31Really destructive decisions

00:58:37First time I tried drugs

00:58:38Was before a video shoot

00:58:40In 2000

00:58:41My call time

00:58:43Wasn't out until 2am

00:58:44It was a night shoot

00:58:46I literally went out

00:58:48To dinner

00:58:48With some of the boys

00:58:50Took a nap

00:58:52Woke up a little groggy

00:58:54And my buddy was there

00:58:56And he's like

00:58:56Well if you're tired

00:58:57I've got something

00:58:58That you can take

00:58:59That'll pick you up

00:59:01And he pulled out the bag

00:59:02And I was like

00:59:02Oh hell no

00:59:03No no no no no

00:59:04I am not doing that shit

00:59:05He's like well

00:59:08I'm gonna use your bathroom

00:59:09It's right there

00:59:09If you want it

00:59:15I very easily

00:59:16Could have done the video shoot

00:59:18Without being on drugs

00:59:20I think in that moment

00:59:21I just

00:59:23Caved

00:59:24And decided

00:59:25What's the worst

00:59:26That could happen

00:59:29Worst things happened

00:59:36We're just three normal

00:59:37Totally normal guys

00:59:38But it's like

00:59:38Picture like three best friends

00:59:40Going down the road together

00:59:41And just having fun

00:59:42And singing

00:59:42With LFO

00:59:43Brad is

00:59:44His story is different

00:59:44He's been through

00:59:45A rollercoaster of

00:59:47That I don't think

00:59:48Anybody else

00:59:49In a boy group

00:59:51Has gone through

00:59:53Well we started as a rap group

00:59:54In the early years

00:59:55It was Rich and Ryan

00:59:57And me

00:59:58And then

00:59:59Ryan left

01:00:02Devin was added

01:00:04We wrote a lot of our songs

01:00:06Come on in dad

01:00:07What's up everybody

01:00:08Keep in mind

01:00:09Back then

01:00:09It was very unusual

01:00:10For a boy band

01:00:11To have a song

01:00:12They wrote

01:00:12On their own album

01:00:13You know

01:00:15Summer Girls

01:00:16It's an anthem

01:00:19It's classic

01:00:20This video could be shot today

01:00:21You know

01:00:22We were doing like

01:00:23The ocean

01:00:24Like the beach scene

01:00:26At the end

01:00:26Dev and I

01:00:27Had arms around each other

01:00:28And walked in the ocean

01:00:29And it's really timeless

01:00:32With LFO

01:00:33Summer Girls

01:00:35Definitely lived in the top ten

01:00:36At TRL for a long time

01:00:37You know

01:00:38The second single

01:00:39Was Girl on TV

01:00:40Because Rich was infatuated

01:00:41With Jennifer Love Hewitt

01:00:42I think I fell

01:00:43For the girl on TV

01:00:45Oh

01:00:46Jennifer Love Hewitt

01:00:47I do remember this

01:00:49Because it was

01:00:50Jennifer Love Hewitt

01:00:51Was a babe

01:00:52Back then

01:00:53Still is

01:00:54This is nerve wracking

01:00:55One more time

01:00:56In our third single

01:00:59It got added to a bunch

01:01:00Of radio stations

01:01:01But it didn't really

01:01:01It didn't really hit

01:01:03And when the sales

01:01:05Didn't really hit

01:01:06You know

01:01:06I think the label

01:01:07Was like

01:01:07Well

01:01:09That's that

01:01:10You know

01:01:11It's time to move on

01:01:12We have

01:01:13Some news

01:01:14That's kind of sad

01:01:15To share with you

01:01:16At this point in time

01:01:18LFO

01:01:18As you knew it

01:01:20Know it

01:01:20Is

01:01:21Over

01:01:27A couple years later

01:01:29I was walking

01:01:30Somewhere in Florida

01:01:31And I got a call

01:01:32From Rich's brother

01:01:32Mike

01:01:33And he's like

01:01:34Hey Brad

01:01:35I got some bad news

01:01:37Rich has leukemia

01:01:42I had heard

01:01:43That Rich was having

01:01:43Trouble with his legs

01:01:45And so I texted him

01:01:46I said

01:01:47Hey man

01:01:47I hear you're

01:01:48Having some trouble

01:01:48Walking

01:01:56I figured

01:01:57There's two ways

01:01:57To get you out of bed

01:01:58One is

01:01:58You know

01:01:59A beautiful blonde

01:02:01Or a tour

01:02:01I said

01:02:02What do you think

01:02:03You want to tour again

01:02:04And then he didn't respond

01:02:06And then

01:02:06You know

01:02:07A few weeks later

01:02:08I found out

01:02:09Through a fan

01:02:10Actually

01:02:10That

01:02:11That he died

01:02:17So we do the burial

01:02:18And then

01:02:19And then

01:02:49When Rich passed

01:02:49It was like

01:02:50The same year

01:02:50My daughter was born

01:02:51And I'm like

01:02:51I just sat at the table

01:02:53And just cried

01:02:56I know that sounds hokey

01:02:58Because I wasn't that

01:02:58Close to him

01:02:59Like as the later years

01:03:00Went down

01:03:01But I was like

01:03:01That was the part of my life

01:03:02That was just like

01:03:03Very special to me

01:03:04And it was just gone

01:03:04And I never got to say

01:03:06Much to him

01:03:06You know

01:03:09Devin was live with me

01:03:10And he was my best friend

01:03:11So

01:03:12You know

01:03:13We just

01:03:13Started making music together

01:03:15No you can't replay this

01:03:16It's just

01:03:17It's actually

01:03:18An honor

01:03:19Rich did you replace me

01:03:22So we did a tour

01:03:23It's amazing

01:03:25And

01:03:26Come home from that

01:03:27And

01:03:28We

01:03:29Were gonna do

01:03:30Two more legs

01:03:31But

01:03:32I remember one day

01:03:33I was at my

01:03:35Office

01:03:35And

01:03:37Alan

01:03:37Who played acoustic guitar

01:03:38For us

01:03:39Came in

01:03:39And he goes

01:03:40Hey I need to talk to you

01:03:41And I was up

01:03:42He said

01:03:43Devin's in the hospital

01:03:45I was like

01:03:47What room

01:03:48You know

01:03:49Devin was never sick

01:03:52So I run up to the hospital

01:03:53And

01:03:54He's not in his bed

01:03:55He's sitting on the couch

01:03:56Like meditating

01:03:58But then

01:03:59You know

01:03:59On the desk

01:03:59They have like

01:04:00A list of doctors

01:04:01And then

01:04:01One of the doctors

01:04:02Listed

01:04:03Was oncologist

01:04:04And I was like

01:04:04Oh god

01:04:13So

01:04:15He had a really rare cancer

01:04:16Called primary genital cancer

01:04:18Which

01:04:19Genital gland's

01:04:20Like a little

01:04:21Acorn size

01:04:22Organ on top of your kidney

01:04:23And

01:04:24It just engulfed

01:04:25His entire kidney

01:04:26Alright we're live

01:04:27From the hospital bed

01:04:28I told Devin

01:04:29I was gonna shoot

01:04:29A little video

01:04:30Just to let people know

01:04:31How he's doing

01:04:31He's like

01:04:32Yo

01:04:32Give me my glasses

01:04:33Surgery was great

01:04:35The tumor was

01:04:35What

01:04:36Man

01:04:36Like the size of a football

01:04:38Yeah

01:04:39But at that point

01:04:40We found out

01:04:42Shortly after that

01:04:42They had spread

01:04:43To his bones

01:04:44And to his blood

01:04:45And for the next year

01:04:48And for the next year

01:04:49Nothing worked

01:04:52I used to yell at God

01:04:54Like please don't take him

01:04:56Please don't take him

01:05:10He passed away

01:05:12He passed away

01:05:12And um

01:05:13Not only was he my bandmate

01:05:14But he was my best friend

01:05:15You know

01:05:20So at that point

01:05:21So at that point

01:05:21I went into the darkness

01:05:23Like

01:05:24Dark

01:05:25Dark

01:05:27Men sometimes

01:05:28Are not vulnerable enough

01:05:29To realize

01:05:30Like when they need

01:05:31A little bit of help

01:05:33But um

01:05:34It wasn't the end

01:05:35Of it

01:05:40A couple years ago

01:05:41I was at home

01:05:43And my manager

01:05:44Calls me up

01:05:48And he's like

01:05:48Hey man

01:05:49Are you ready for this

01:05:49I'm like

01:05:50Yeah well

01:05:51I don't think

01:05:52You're ready for this

01:05:57And he goes

01:05:58Brian's dead

01:06:06I went into our room

01:06:08And I sat

01:06:09On the

01:06:11Uh

01:06:11Chair

01:06:12And like

01:06:12I cried

01:06:14Like

01:06:15Like the way I cried

01:06:16When Devin died

01:06:19I was like

01:06:19Man these are just guys

01:06:20That I knew growing up

01:06:21And

01:06:21And we were

01:06:22Part of something

01:06:23It was just cool

01:06:24And it was

01:06:25You know

01:06:26Anyway

01:06:26Sorry

01:06:31How the

01:06:32Can this happen

01:06:34How is this possible

01:06:35That these three guys

01:06:36Under 50

01:06:37Are all dead

01:06:38You know

01:06:40But if you look

01:06:41From the outside

01:06:42People say

01:06:42Oh the LFO's cursed

01:06:43It's like

01:06:45You know

01:06:46I don't really believe

01:06:47In that kind of stuff

01:06:49Um

01:06:50Who knows

01:06:51Maybe I'm wrong

01:06:51Maybe

01:06:52You know

01:06:52By the time

01:06:53It's aired

01:06:53I'm gone

01:06:56Everybody thinks

01:06:57This side of the world

01:06:58Is all fun

01:07:00But there's a few things

01:07:01That have happened

01:07:01During our path

01:07:02That's very sad

01:07:03And very tragic

01:07:05I think that's why

01:07:05As an artist

01:07:06They turn to other stuff

01:07:07Alcohol

01:07:07To try to enhance

01:07:08Whatever that feeling is

01:07:10Because you've kind of

01:07:11Already reached this thing

01:07:12And you try

01:07:12You try to

01:07:17It is the exact same thing

01:07:18Of fulfilling yourself

01:07:20As a human being

01:07:23It just so happens

01:07:24This is publicly displayed

01:07:312001

01:07:32Backstreet Boys

01:07:33They're still performing

01:07:34My grandmother passed away

01:07:36She was everything to me

01:07:38My grandmother was pretty much

01:07:40My parent

01:07:41Pick up

01:07:42Drop off from school

01:07:43Take me to my auditions

01:07:44Take me to my dance class

01:07:45My acting classes

01:07:47All of that

01:07:49She was probably

01:07:50My biggest supporter

01:07:52When she passed

01:07:54I resented God

01:07:56I resented people

01:07:58Places

01:07:58Things

01:07:59I hated

01:07:59I hated everything

01:08:01And

01:08:03In

01:08:04In my mind

01:08:06The best way

01:08:07To numb the feeling

01:08:08Was to

01:08:09Pick up a drink

01:08:11And that turned into drugs

01:08:13We would definitely

01:08:14Party at AJ's

01:08:15All the time

01:08:16Like

01:08:16He had the party house

01:08:17Always had a blast over there

01:08:19But I

01:08:20I didn't know

01:08:21That AJ was

01:08:22Was dealing with

01:08:23Any kind of addiction issues

01:08:24At the time

01:08:25Congratulations

01:08:25I understand your album

01:08:27Is number four

01:08:28Is that right

01:08:28Yeah

01:08:28With Backstreet Boys

01:08:30The rest of the boys

01:08:32At this point

01:08:32They were all

01:08:33Pretty much in the dark

01:08:34About how bad I was

01:08:36Really

01:08:37Was

01:08:40We were supposed to

01:08:41Throw the first pitch out

01:08:43Baseball game

01:08:43And

01:08:44Singing the national anthem

01:08:46So obviously

01:08:47All five of us

01:08:48Needed to be there

01:08:50And I went on a bender

01:08:51That night

01:08:51And didn't want to

01:08:52Get out of bed

01:08:52The next day

01:08:53And

01:08:54Kevin did not

01:08:55Like that idea

01:08:56Very much

01:08:58He broke the door

01:09:00Down to the actual room

01:09:02He said to me

01:09:04That I was dead to him

01:09:06And he'll never

01:09:07Trust me again

01:09:08And he came to us

01:09:09And said that

01:09:10He needed help

01:09:11And

01:09:12We've got each other's backs

01:09:14And

01:09:15The very next day

01:09:17I flew straight from Boston

01:09:19To Tucson, Arizona

01:09:21And that was my first stint

01:09:23In treatment

01:09:24Hi

01:09:25Hello

01:09:26How are you guys?

01:09:28Great

01:09:28How are you doing?

01:09:28Oh, I

01:09:29Okay

01:09:29You're back together again

01:09:30After a little three-year break

01:09:32Hey, Jay

01:09:32How are you now?

01:09:34I'm

01:09:34Doing really well

01:09:35October 23rd of this year

01:09:37Will be three years sooner

01:09:39There is definitely

01:09:40A

01:09:42Emptiness

01:09:43That we

01:09:44As addicts

01:09:46Try to fill that void

01:09:47With external validation

01:09:49With external

01:09:49Things

01:09:50People, places

01:09:51And things

01:09:52But

01:09:53I know that

01:09:54The drinking and the drugs

01:09:55Were

01:09:56Symptoms of a real

01:09:58Bigger issue

01:09:59And that bigger issue

01:10:01Was the lack of self-esteem

01:10:04Divorced

01:10:05Household

01:10:06I needed closure

01:10:07As to why

01:10:09They separated

01:10:10Because my whole childhood

01:10:12I was told

01:10:12It was because of me

01:10:13That my dad was jealous of me

01:10:15My mom just dove into me

01:10:18And forgot about him

01:10:20Once I showed interest in

01:10:21What I showed interest in

01:10:24And now at that point

01:10:25I don't know my dad

01:10:27At all

01:10:29And he's alive

01:10:30But I don't know him

01:10:40I put out a solo project

01:10:42Back in 2009

01:10:43Under AJ McLean

01:10:45I haven't seen my dad

01:10:47In quite a while

01:10:48And um

01:10:51My dad's actually here tonight

01:10:52And um

01:10:53And that place got

01:10:54Dead quiet

01:10:56Like oh shit

01:10:58My dad showed up

01:11:01To that show

01:11:03Unannounced

01:11:04And

01:11:05I was told

01:11:06Right before I went on stage

01:11:07That my dad was there

01:11:09Over the last couple years

01:11:10That I've been working on my record

01:11:12I wanted to write a song

01:11:15About what I would say to my dad

01:11:16If he were right in front of me

01:11:18And he is right in front of me tonight

01:11:21And

01:11:21This is sincerely yours

01:11:28And I could barely get through the song

01:11:30One of the best lyrics of that song

01:11:40Is

01:11:41All you left me was my name

01:11:47That's a bitch

01:11:49Of a thing to say

01:11:50That's a

01:11:52That's a humdinger

01:11:54You know

01:11:54Because it's true

01:12:02And I thought

01:12:04After that

01:12:06When I saw him after the show

01:12:08Briefly

01:12:09I thought

01:12:11That's got to have

01:12:12Said something to you

01:12:15I wanted

01:12:16In that moment

01:12:17I wanted

01:12:18An apology

01:12:21I wanted

01:12:23I wanted a lot of things

01:12:27And

01:12:29Nothing

01:12:31Didn't say a word

01:12:33About it

01:12:35And then again

01:12:36Pissed me off

01:12:38And I was like

01:12:39Alright

01:12:39I'm out

01:12:40Goodbye

01:12:46What an honor it is

01:12:48What a beautiful day

01:12:51What another beautiful way

01:12:53To celebrate 20 years together

01:12:58Who would have thought

01:12:59That

01:13:00When we began this journey together

01:13:03That

01:13:04This would be a stop

01:13:05Along the way

01:13:07When it comes to rehab

01:13:09I've gone three times now

01:13:11I'm a father

01:13:12I have two daughters

01:13:15My youngest daughter

01:13:16Saved my life

01:13:17Four years ago

01:13:20Came back from Miami

01:13:21Still reeked

01:13:22Like a damn bar

01:13:25Tried to hug my daughter

01:13:27And she wouldn't hug me

01:13:28And I was like

01:13:29What's going on?

01:13:31What's up baby?

01:13:32She's like

01:13:33You don't smell like my daddy

01:13:35That one

01:13:36Struck a nerve

01:13:38Enough to

01:13:39Wake me the

01:13:40Up

01:13:41To where

01:13:43I don't

01:13:44I don't want to feel

01:13:45That way anymore

01:13:46In 2021

01:13:47Alex announced

01:13:48That he was getting

01:13:49Sober again

01:13:50For good

01:13:52This is the first time

01:13:53In 25 years

01:13:56I've done

01:13:56What has been suggested

01:13:58Of me to do

01:13:58The meetings

01:13:59Get a sponsor

01:14:00Do the steps

01:14:03About three years ago

01:14:04My dad and I

01:14:05Started talking again

01:14:06I reached out

01:14:06And we finally

01:14:09Finally

01:14:10Had it out

01:14:12And then

01:14:13Come to find out

01:14:14What really happened

01:14:15It was just

01:14:16My mom and dad

01:14:17Just stopped

01:14:18Loving each other

01:14:19There was nothing

01:14:19More to it

01:14:20It had nothing

01:14:20To do with me

01:14:22I learned

01:14:22He's not a bad guy

01:14:23He's not

01:14:24He's actually a genius

01:14:27Was in a band

01:14:29Played bass

01:14:30That's how my parents

01:14:31Met

01:14:32Now I have clarity

01:14:33Closure

01:14:34And a better understanding

01:14:35Of one another

01:14:36What's up man

01:14:37How you doing

01:14:38I haven't seen you

01:14:39In a little bit

01:14:39I mean I truly

01:14:42Love what I do

01:14:43For a living

01:14:45When somebody would say

01:14:46Thank you

01:14:50I would want to curl up

01:14:51And die

01:14:53Because I was like

01:14:54I don't deserve those

01:14:57I don't look

01:14:58At anything like that

01:14:59Today

01:15:02I'm like

01:15:03You are welcome

01:15:04It was my pleasure

01:15:06And I'll do it again

01:15:08Because I

01:15:09Love what I do

01:15:13Yeah no

01:15:14Man we're

01:15:15Busy gearing up

01:15:16For Vegas bro

01:15:17So we don't really

01:15:18Have time

01:15:18Are you guys doing

01:15:19The tour right

01:15:20No we're doing

01:15:20A Vegas residency

01:15:22In 2025

01:15:24The Backstreet Boys

01:15:25Just sold out

01:15:26Several shows

01:15:27At the Sphere

01:15:28In Las Vegas

01:15:29And welcomed in

01:15:31This entire generation

01:15:33Of fans

01:15:35That were raised

01:15:35On their music

01:15:37Call them what you want

01:15:39This boy band

01:15:40Is at the Sphere

01:15:42Playing to 22,000 people

01:15:44A night

01:15:44Selling out every show

01:15:49Doing 4 million dollars

01:15:51A weekend

01:15:51In merchandise

01:15:53We couldn't have

01:15:54Been more proud

01:15:55They single handedly

01:15:56Changed

01:15:57Everything about

01:15:58Their business

01:15:59There are acts

01:16:00That are superstars

01:16:02On the charts

01:16:03Right now

01:16:03That can't do that

01:16:06I think

01:16:06We are more popular

01:16:08Today than we were

01:16:09In 1999

01:16:10And my kids think

01:16:11Like dad's

01:16:12The coolest thing

01:16:12In the world now

01:16:13The second to last show

01:16:15Of the first leg

01:16:15Of the residency

01:16:16They literally came to me

01:16:17After the show

01:16:18And said how proud

01:16:18They were

01:16:19And I almost lost it

01:16:21I had to go to the bathroom

01:16:22And like compose myself

01:16:23They can say

01:16:24That they're proud

01:16:25Of their dad

01:16:27I never had anyone

01:16:28To say that to

01:16:30And they get to say it

01:16:31To me

01:16:32And I get to say it

01:16:34Right back to them

01:16:34Because I'm proud

01:16:35Of them every day

01:16:39I want people to know

01:16:42That there are people

01:16:43Out there that will hear you

01:16:44And I will see you

01:16:45And there's healing available

01:16:47This is Allie

01:16:49Honestly she was like

01:16:50One of my best friends

01:16:50I was 21

01:16:52She was 28

01:16:54When we started dating

01:16:55She has been there for me

01:16:59And she still showed me grace

01:17:02When I didn't think

01:17:04I deserved it

01:17:12I decided to leave

01:17:14To move to LA

01:17:14Met my wife

01:17:15Literally the day

01:17:16That I landed there

01:17:17We haven't been apart

01:17:18Like a day since

01:17:19And that was 23 years ago

01:17:21Ish

01:17:22Right

01:17:22So I have a wonderful life

01:17:24Man I live

01:17:24I live very well

01:17:25And made some decent decisions

01:17:27And have three beautiful kids

01:17:28And a beautiful wife

01:17:29And you know

01:17:30Couldn't imagine life

01:17:30Any other way

01:17:35In 2006

01:17:36People Magazine

01:17:37Was going to run

01:17:38With a cover story

01:17:39Outed publicly

01:17:40By the media

01:17:43And they told me about it

01:17:44I confirmed it

01:17:45With People Magazine

01:17:46And I knew

01:17:47I didn't want to see

01:17:48The aftermath

01:17:50My career was over

01:17:51I was done

01:17:52I was never going to

01:17:53Do what I wanted to do

01:17:55In this business

01:17:57But everyone took it

01:17:58The opposite route

01:17:59I mean it was the first time

01:18:01I saw the media

01:18:03You know

01:18:03And the talk show host

01:18:05Talking about it

01:18:06In a way that

01:18:07It was like

01:18:08Wait

01:18:08Why do we care?

01:18:10Like this is not

01:18:11A big deal anymore

01:18:13But yes

01:18:13When I did come out

01:18:14My parents kind of

01:18:16Got run out

01:18:16Of a few churches

01:18:17And even to this day

01:18:18They

01:18:18A lot of churches

01:18:19Use me

01:18:20To preach hate

01:18:23And my parents

01:18:24Just kept moving

01:18:25From church to church

01:18:25It was not pretty for them

01:18:27But the positives

01:18:28That came out of it

01:18:29Just far

01:18:30Far outpaced

01:18:32The negative

01:18:33So I was

01:18:34I was happy

01:18:36In Sync

01:18:37Ironically

01:18:38It was such a blessing

01:18:39If In Sync didn't happen

01:18:40I don't know what

01:18:40Would have

01:18:41Because I had a girlfriend

01:18:42At the time

01:18:42Would we have stayed together

01:18:43Would I have just gotten

01:18:45Married

01:18:45Just for the sake

01:18:46Of getting married

01:18:47And have kids

01:18:48And live this

01:18:48Secret life

01:18:51It probably would have

01:18:51Been miserable

01:18:52It would have been lonely

01:18:53It would have been a lie

01:18:54I don't know

01:18:55What would have happened

01:18:56If I did not have

01:18:57In Sync

01:18:58To keep me

01:18:59Just safe

01:19:03After it's all

01:19:04Kind of

01:19:05Gone away for a little bit

01:19:06And you have time

01:19:06To reflect on it

01:19:07You realize

01:19:07We're all very

01:19:08Similar to each other

01:19:11These guys all have shared

01:19:12Similar journeys

01:19:14With the same fan base

01:19:15The same kind of music

01:19:16The same TV shows

01:19:18The same regions

01:19:19The same touring schedule

01:19:20You've all seen

01:19:22The same things

01:19:23We know the camaraderie

01:19:24We know what we've been

01:19:26Through together

01:19:31These guys all share

01:19:32And lived

01:19:32That myself

01:19:34You

01:19:34None of us really know

01:19:35Unless you were one of them

01:19:40One of the things

01:19:41We all wanted to do

01:19:42The whole entire time

01:19:43Was collaborate together

01:19:48Going, hey

01:19:48Enough time's passed

01:19:50Let's start doing

01:19:50These collaborations

01:19:58The weather's better than last time

01:20:00I guess

01:20:01Right now

01:20:02It's my privilege

01:20:03To introduce you

01:20:04The one and only

01:20:06Mr. Brandon

01:20:06I got to collaborate

01:20:11With LFO

01:20:12And Chris

01:20:12He's like one of my best friends

01:20:13In the world

01:20:14From In Sync

01:20:14I got a chance

01:20:16To be a part of

01:20:16One of the most amazing

01:20:17Times in music

01:20:18That is so important

01:20:20To so many fans

01:20:21Joey has his Joey and friends

01:20:23That he brings people into

01:20:24Back in the day

01:20:25It was unheard of

01:20:26You don't put boy bands together

01:20:28We toured with Boys to Man

01:20:31To tour with them

01:20:32Was an absolute dream

01:20:34I mean

01:20:34I couldn't have scripted

01:20:35A better way for us

01:20:37To come back

01:20:37After an 11 year break

01:20:39If the song meant

01:20:40Something to you then

01:20:41It's gonna mean

01:20:42Something to you now

01:20:43People gravitate towards

01:20:45Memory

01:20:47That time travel

01:20:49Two

01:20:50Three

01:20:51One

01:20:52Three

01:20:54Three

01:21:03Two

01:21:36There's like a rebirth in all this, from trying to satisfy the record label, satisfy the teenage girls, and satisfy

01:21:44the managers, the branding agents, and the responsibilities, to now satisfying themselves.

01:22:01Everybody always says to yourself, you know, if you go back, what can you change?

01:22:06I don't think I'd change anything.

01:22:11Hollywood, it can be a cruel, dirty, brutal, wild place.

01:22:19Stalking, criminality.

01:22:20We have pictures of knives and guns.

01:22:22Jesus, you stabbed someone.

01:22:24I miss him.

01:22:26You want me to give you a secret?

01:22:28May you never be on my show.

01:22:30The Jerry Springer Show destroyed my life.

01:22:32And many others.

01:22:34It's time to set the friggin' record straight.

01:22:36I always felt like somebody was trying to do prints.

01:22:40Man.

01:22:40I have the power of all the doctors.

01:22:42Matthew Perry was, he exploited.

01:22:46Everybody wanted to be on MTV.

01:22:48That was a very, very dark time.

01:22:50Maybe someone could learn from this.

01:22:53The kid from A Christmas Story was in a porno.

01:22:56Ew.

01:22:57Most people know me from Dormese World, but now I'm a porn star.

01:23:00I'm a former Disney child actor.

01:23:03Now I do adult entertainment.

01:23:05It's recording now.

01:23:06The price of fame.

01:23:07The price of fame.

01:23:08The price of fame.

01:23:09The price of fame.

01:23:10The price of fame.

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