Sordid Tales From The World Of Boy Bands
Former Insiders Claim Lou Pearlman Made Advances On Proteges
7Oct. 2, 2007
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Former insiders involved with Lou Pearlman's music empire says he made inappropriate advances towards his young proteges. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
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(CBS) The Backstreet Boys, 'NSync and other bands in music mogul Lou Pearlman's empire enjoyed huge worldwide success in the 1990s. Now, a new report says that behind the scenes several of the young, male singers had to put up with their boss' sexual advances, Vanity Fair reports.
"None of these kids will ever admit anything happened," one attorney who has sued Pearlman in a contract dispute tells special correspondent Bryan Burrough. "They're all too ashamed, and if the truth came out it would ruin their careers."
The article details Pearlman's rise to power through his aviation and music ventures followed by his crushing downfall amid lawsuits from former band members that have landed him in a Florida jail awaiting trial on fraud charges. Insiders tell stories of Pearlman showing pornographic films to his young talent, greeting guests at the door wearing only a towel, and inappropriate touching including massages to balance one young man's "aura."
While some deny anything improper ever happened, Burrough talks with former Pearlman proteges and their parents. One former assistant, who wanted desperately to be in one of Pearlman's bands, says that many involved knew of Pearlman's alleged predilections.
"I would absolutely say the guy was a sexual predator," Pearlman's former assistant Steve Mooney says. "All the talent knew what Lou's game was. If they say no, they're lying to you."
More than a dozen insiders tell Burrough they heard stories of Pearlman's behavior while insisting they experienced nothing untoward themselves.
"I tried to protect the kids," says a former publicist, Jay Marose. "You'd see Lou kind of moving in on one of them, and you'd just tell someone, 'Get that kid away from Lou before it's too late.' "Photos: Stars Behind Bars
The November issue of Vanity Fair hits newsstands in New York and Los Angeles on Oct. 3 and nationally on Oct. 9.
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It''s all make believe, folks!
How long will this message stay before the $cientology police censor it again ?!
Boys can use what they got to make it in showbiz just like girls can. Hello!
..inappropriate touching including massages to balance one young man''s "aura."
Makes sense to me.
Coming out with this story, no pun intended, will give them another 5 minutes. So why isn''t any of them, *cough*, coming out with the allegations? Much like Michael Jackson, Lou P. is hardly broke...
Mind you, the grown up Menudo kid who once said (and I''m paraphrasing) "it doesn''t matter, it''s nobody''s business what anyone does, so don''t talk of it" later said (more paraphrasing) "I''m gay and everybody has to know it." When did he lose his sense of maturity?
As for the pedophile in the article, put him away. Many victims of these animals do have difficult times as adults too. No, not the stereotype where they in turn molest boys, but amongst other things reliving old fears. Throw the animal in jail.