Most people know James Lance Bass (aka Lance Bass) during his time as an NSYNC member. Together with Christ Kirkpatrick, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone and Justin Timberlake, their band made headlines with popular singles like ‘Bye Bye Bye’, ‘This I Promise You’ and ‘It’s Gonna Be Me.’
After a decade of performing as a group, the iconic boy band announced their separation in 2007. Since then, each of the NSYNC members pursued their individual interests and found a spotlight for themselves. While Justin Timberlake might be the former NSYNC Member who “shone the most” after his boy band days, Lance Bass also stood out with his colorful career after NSYNC.
Out of all the members, he had the most colorful transition of them all. From causing fans to swoon as a boy band member to becoming an executive producer and an inspiration to the LGBT community, Lance Bass made the most out of NSYNC’s extended hiatus and we’re all for it.
What Did Lance Bass Do After NSYNC?
Even while he was still a member of NSYNC, Bass tried to expand his borders by doing activities outside of the band. In 2000, he formed a music management company called Free Lance Entertainment, which was a joint project with Mercury Nashville.
Bass wanted to establish a “family-run operation,” which is why he worked with his parents and sisters. He also hired country singer Meredith Edwards (his childhood friend) for the company’s first release. However, Free Lance folded due to the disappointing sales of Edwards’ first album, Reach. ‘
The failure of Free Lance Entertainment did not stop Bass from pursuing another management venture. Near the end of NSYNC’s run, Bass launched Lance Bass Production (a few years after he formed his first film production company, A Happy Place). In 2007, Lance Bass Production partnered with Logo to produce a reality TC show about the music business. However, no project has been aired or even produced.
In 2008, he co-produced The Grand. His company expressed interest in developing a music docudrama focused on the lives of rock bands during their tours. In 2013, Lance Bass became the executive producer of Kidnapped for Christ, a documentary that shed light on the controversial modification methods used on children by an Evangelical Christian school in the Dominican Republic.
Bass also entered the radio industry by hosting Dirty Pop with Lance Bass, a drive-time radio show focusing on entertainment news and pop culture. He was also the host of “Pop2Kountdown,” which listed down the weekly hits (most of the songs were from the 2000s).
He also had a short stint at Dancing with the Stars. He became a contestant on the show’s seventh season and was paired with Lacey Schwimmer, a swing dance champ. They reached the grand finale and eventually placed third.
Lance Bass’s Net Worth
During his earlier days with NSYNC, Lance Bass wasn’t paid enough as every boy band member should. Their original manager, Lou Pearlman (who went to jail for a Ponzi scheme), paid them $10,000 each. While $10,000 is still a big amount of money, it was the bare minimum for the amount of time the band spent on appearances, promotions and touring.
Fortunately, NSYNC signed a $12 million dollar deal with Jive Records, which is a big contribution to Lance Bass’s current net worth of $20 million.
However, his boy band days aren’t the only contributors to his wealth. His projects post-NSYNC also contributed to his healthy paychecks. For example, in 2021, Bass was one of the four hosts of the show Bachelor in Paradise. Cosmopolitan estimated that he earned $500,000 for the hosting gig.
Lance Bass as an LGBT Symbol in the Entertainment Industry
During his earlier days in the industry, Lance Bass exclusively dated women. He dated Boy Meets World’s Danielle Fishel throughout 1999 and 2000. Speaking about their relationship, Fishel revealed that she was invested in their relationship and was “so in love” with him. However, he ended the relationship after a year.
In 2006, Bass eventually admitted to being gay in a cover story for People magazine. When asked why he didn’t come out during the band’s popularity, he said that he was concerned with the careers of his other bandmates, thinking that his coming out might impact their lives. It was his relationship with Amazing Race winner Reichen Lehmkhul that led to his decision to come out publicly.
Since then, Bass has openly dated men. After splitting up with Lehmkhul, he dated LXTV host and Brazillian model Pedro Andrade. In 2007, he dated New York hairdresser Ben Thigpen. Finally, he met the one in Michael Turchin. The couple was engaged in September 2013 and married in December 2014.
Since coming out, Lance Bass continues to be a popular advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community. He has joined countless programs that support the LGBT cause and even honored his LGBT fans during NSYNC’s Walk of Fame induction. He also expressed his desire to create more LGBT-centric versions of popular shows like The Bachelor.
Where is Lance Bass Now?
The latest news on Lance Bass concerns his family life, particularly the birth of his twins Alexander James and Violet Betty.
Earlier in 2021, Bass revealed that he and his husband Micahel Turchin were trying to have kids again after years of failed IVF treatments, surrogacy attempts and a miscarriage. The successful conception of their twins was the 10th donor of the couple.
Lance Bass has come a long way from being a boy band member to a host, producer, LGBT activist, doting husband and a loving father. And because of that, he is an inspiration.
