Lance Bass Feared 'Gay Shocker' Would Ruin NSYNC

Former 'N Sync star Lance Bass regrets waiting four years after the group went on hiatus to announce he was gay - because he thought his 'coming out' would ruin a planned reunion.

Bass confessed he was a homosexual in a magazine article in 2006 and now claims he couldn't 'come out' any sooner because he feared the gay shocker would taint his bandmates' careers.

He explains, "I was very scared of ruining my four best friends' careers. The ignorance in me thought that if I did reveal that, that our whole life would crash and the group would end because everyone would hate us.

"But now I see how stupid that was, and I wish I could go back and be able to tell the world who I really was.

"I think it would have been fine. My fans have always stood by me, and they haven't changed. And I think it would have been great to be able to come out (at) the height of like the 'N Sync heyday - I think it could have helped a lot of people."

His wait was in vain as 'N Sync never regrouped after they went on hiatus in 2002, and Justin Timberlake's solo success make it less and less likely that the boy band will ever reunite, like Westlife, Backstreet Boys and New Kids on The Block have.