Chris Kirkpatrick Recalls a 'Lot of Animosity' from *NSYNC After Justin Timberlake's Solo Career Forced Pause

Mar. 15, 2025

*NSYNC in 2000 (left), Justin Timberlake performing solo in 2002.Photo:Tim Roney/Getty, Kevin Winter/ImageDirect via Getty

Tim Roney/Getty, Kevin Winter/ImageDirect via Getty

*NSYNC’s dissolution was a heartbreaking surprise to their fans.

Though there was never a final moment where the band “ended,” it became clear after some time in the early 2000s that there were no plans to reunite. MembersLance BassandChris Kirkpatrickrecall that time in Paramount+’s new documentary,Larger Than Life: Reign of the Boybands.

The band was aware that they’d be taking some time off after their 2002 tour, but what happened next came as a surprise to them all.

“2002 was our last tour. Justin was going to start his solo album which we were super supportive of. I thought that was a great idea," Bass, 45, recalls. “The label told us, ‘Look, come back in six months,’ and we were supposed to go right into the next album. And that just never happened.”

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*NSYNC at 2002 Grammy Awards.Frederick M. Brown/Getty

Frederick M. Brown/Getty

Kirkpatrick, 53, says, “It was hard. There was a lot of animosity at first. There was a lot of anger. There was a lot of resentment. I remember thinking, ‘Are we ever getting back together again?’ "

“It was just a very confusing part of our life right there because we didn’t know what was happening,” Bass agrees.

Justin Timberlake at a 2002 “Justified” party.Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty

ManagerJohnny Wrightexplains how the release ofJustin Timberlake’s debut solo albumJustifiedended up taking his life on a different path.

Bass says that it wasn’t what was happening that upset the group, which also includesJoey FatoneandJC Chasez. Rather, it was how the situation was handled.

“Business-wise, I get that. Justin has the most talent in the world and we wanted to give him that respect,” he says, adding, “But, tell us that.”

Learn more about *NSYNC’s run and competition between the group and other boy bands as they all rose to fame inLarger Than Life: Reign of the Boybands, now streaming on Paramount+.

source: people.com