Lance Bass (Photo : Reuters)
Sexual harassment by bosses in the entertainment industry is also felt by male performers. One celebrity who claims he was sexually harassed as teen by a music industry professional is Lance Bass, former member of 'N Sync.
Bass shared his experience on the Wednesday edition of the "Meredith Vieira Show," reports The Washington Post. His harasser was a male executive who kept on touching him and bandmates.
"I was even aware then, at 16, that this guy was a pedophile and he was touching me oddly but I didn't feel victimized at the time because I was very aware of it. But it happened to us, too," admits Bass who declined to identify the man.
The daily hints it could be Lou Perlman, creator of the 'N Sync and Backstreet Boys who was a "serial sexual predator," according to a 2007 article in Vanity Fair. The article by Bryan Burrough stated that Pearlman loved "the attentions of attractive young male singers ... especially the teenagers" who shrugged and giggled when he showed them porno movies or when he jumped naked on their bed in the morning "to wrestle and play."
According to Burrough, while some deny anything inappropriate took place, the parents of one Backstreet Boys member have complained. But when the Vanity Fair writer spoke to Robert and Jane Carter, both did not comment on the apparent discomfort of son Nick Carter - who turned 17 in 1997 - while visiting Pearlman's house.
Tim Christophere, an ex-member of Take 5, also created by Pearlman, who was 13 at that time, confirmed the stories of porn movies and early morning bed wrestling accounts. Merrily Goddell, mother of another Take 5 member, claims Pearlman took one band member to a strip club.
However, Pearlman, who left the U.S. in January and is serving a 25-year prison term for embezzlement of over $300 million, denied the allegations. According to Vanity Fair, Pearlman ran a Ponzi scheme that he used to bilk almost 2,000 investors over 15 years. Many of them were Florida retirees.
Lance's story came just a day after actress Ashley Judd told Variety her account of sexual abuse and incest by one of the movie's "famous, admired-slash-reviled bosses."
Raz-B, or DeMario Thornton, a former member of another band, B2K, also accused in 2007 Chris Stokes, their band manager, of sexual molestation. He said he was touched by Stokes inappropriately when he was 11 or 12 and he was forced to shower with other B2K members. Stokes denied the accusation.
