Singer Joey Fatone revealed his drunk texting habits during an exclusive E! News interview alongside Lance Bass ahead of the premiere of Cocktail Wars.
Fatone, 49, confessed that his longtime girlfriend Izabel Araujo, whom he has been with for over a decade, remains his primary recipient when he drinks. "I just told my girl I loved her the other night," Fatone said during a "Sip or Spill" game with E! News. He noted that after telling her "I love you," Araujo replied, "You must be drunk."
During the interview, reported by Casey Austin, Fatone also roasted 47-year-old Bass over his cocktail party hosting habits. "You set up and then you disappear," Fatone cracked, adding, "I'm sure Michael would agree with me," referring to Bass's husband Michael Turchin, whom Bass married in 2014. Fatone explained that Bass throws fantastic parties but constantly runs around elsewhere.
Bass defended his hosting style by explaining that he moves around to speak with everyone because he is hosting. The mixology competition series Cocktail Wars premieres Tuesday, Aug. 18, at 10 p.m. on E!, challenging expert drink-makers to blend beverages for a $10,000 prize each episode.
Celebrity guest judges include Lauren Graham, Melissa Gorga, Rachel Maddow, Sonja Morgan, Justin Sylvester, and Braun Strowman. Bass recalled that wrestler Strowman was his biggest surprise, expecting him to shout "Yeah, let's go! Keg stand!" only to find he possessed sophisticated cocktail knowledge. Bass argued real cocktails should cost a bit more, while Fatone noted fresh ingredients make drinks expensive, though premium liquor carries a markup, and mentioned friend Seth Green has an upcoming drink.
Formation of NSYNC in Orlando
The origin of NSYNC began after Chris Kirkpatrick, then 23, was passed over for the Backstreet Boys by impresario Lou Pearlman. Pearlman offered to finance a group if Kirkpatrick recruited the members. Kirkpatrick selected 14-year-old Justin Timberlake from The All New Mickey Mouse Club, who brought in fellow Mouseketeer JC Chasez, 19. Co-star Christina Aguilera recalled to Rolling Stone that Chasez was the cool older guy Timberlake admired.
Kirkpatrick brought in 18-year-old Fatone, whom he knew from performing at Universal Studios in Orlando. Seeking a deeper voice, Timberlake's vocal coach recommended 16-year-old Lance Bass from Mississippi. Bass flew to Florida on Oct. 1, 1995, where Pearlman and Timberlake picked him up at the airport in a black Rolls-Royce. Backstreet Boy Howie Dorough told Pop Crush in 2015 that BSB had encouraged Pearlman to help Kirkpatrick fulfill his dream.
Bass was not the initial fifth member of the group. Jason Galasso, who knew Fatone from high school choir and hung out with Mickey Mouse Club stars, joined first after a page from Fatone. Galasso auditioned with Boyz II Men's "End of the Road" and praised Timberlake's singing. However, Galasso was also in a group called Unreal, and when Pearlman presented a contract that was "thick as a phone book" listing himself as a sixth member, Galasso chose Unreal.
Group name origins and Disney Channel breakthrough
The band name NSYNC was formed using the last letters of the original members' first names: Justin, Chris, Joey, Jason, and JC, after Timberlake's mother remarked that they sounded in sync. When Bass replaced Galasso, the band jokingly called Bass "Lanceton" for a year, while also considering Landon.
After spending two years building a fanbase in Germany with Max Martin hits "I Want You Back" and "Tearin' Up My Heart," NSYNC earned their American break in 1998 when the Backstreet Boys turned down a Disney Channel special. NSYNC in Concert aired repeatedly on cable, which Bass told 20/20 was the gig that established them in America.
Behind the scenes, Timberlake once ate a bite out of Fatone's room service burger in Miami before a charity basketball press call, causing Fatone to arrive 15 minutes late. Bass admitted on Michael Rosenbaum's Inside of You podcast that he sometimes lost patience with Kirkpatrick for making jokes during 20 daily interviews. Frosted tips were born when Bass rubbed hair bleach into his hair with his fingertips because the group lacked time for barbershop visits.
In 2000, manager Johnny Wright and his wife Donna gave each member diamond-and-platinum pendants to celebrate their 1997 debut album reaching diamond status with 10 million copies sold. Timberlake jokingly announced to Rolling Stone, "We are diamond... Screw all of you. I'm done."
Lou Pearlman legal battle and record sales
Despite global success, the band members struggled financially under Pearlman. In 1998, Pearlman presented them with $10,000 checks in Los Angeles, prompting Bass to rip his check up in his hotel room. Realizing Pearlman received one-sixth of profits as a sixth member in addition to management fees, NSYNC left for Jive Records.
TransContinental Records and BMG sued the band for $150 million to block them from using the name NSYNC. The band countersued for $25 million and settled in 1999, retaining their name. Pearlman died in prison in 2016 while serving a 25-year sentence for a Ponzi scheme and money laundering.
In March 2000, the group released No Strings Attached, a title conceived by Kirkpatrick from the Pinocchio song "I've Got No Strings." JC Chasez, who won a seventh-grade talent show singing Richard Marx's "Right Here Waiting," collaborated with Marx on "I Promise You." The album sold 2.4 million copies in its first week, including 1.1 million on day one.
In 2001, Michael Jackson performed with NSYNC at the MTV VMAs and during his 30th Anniversary Celebration at Madison Square Garden, which aired on CBS. Jackson stopped speaking to Bass for a year after Bass giggled when Jackson insisted they remain for a group performance of "Heal the World" for the children.
Personal lives, side projects and band hiatus
With increased earnings, Timberlake bought a Mercedes, BMW M Roadster, Dodge Viper, Audi TT, Porsche 911, and Cadillac Escalade, decorating his Orlando home with a white grand piano, an acrylic nude sculpture, and a safari bedroom. Fatone bought a Cadillac truck and homes for his family, while Bass bought properties in Orlando, Mississippi, and Floribama, and Chasez purchased a $2,500 Helmut Newton photo book.
By 2000, Bass launched Freelance Management, Timberlake established an arts education foundation, Chasez produced girl group Wild Orchid, and Kirkpatrick founded fashion line Fuman Skeeto. Kirkpatrick married Karly Skladany in 2013, Fatone welcomed daughters Briahna in 2001 and Kloey Alexandra in 2010 with Kelly Baldwin before their 2019 split, and Chasez hard-launched his relationship with Jennifer HuYoung in 2019 after dating Bobbie Thomas.
Bass dated Danielle Fishel before publicly coming out as gay in 2006 and marrying Michael Turchin in 2014. During 2001 rehearsals in New Orleans, Fatone suffered a severe leg injury when a platform trapped his leg, requiring surgery before returning to stage with a cane.
Following their 2001 album Celebrity and PopOdyssey tour making $2.5 million a night, NSYNC entered a hiatus in 2002. Timberlake released Justified in November 2002, while Chasez scored a solo hit with "Blowin' Me Up (With Her Love)." Bass later expressed disappointment that management knew the band was ending three years before telling him. The group reunited at the 2013 MTV VMAs and the 2018 Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony, where Bass delivered an emotional speech thanking LGBTQ+ fans.
