Lou Pearlman now faces criticism from Marc Terenzi, as he airs out allegations against the music executive.
In a shocking revelation, former boy band members Jay Khan and Marc Terenzi have come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against late music producer Lou Pearlman. Pearlman, who died in 2016 while serving a 25-year prison sentence for defrauding investors of approximately $500 million, was a key figure in the success of numerous acts, including the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC.
Terenzi, a former member of the band Natural, managed by Pearlman, claims that the producer made sexual advances towards the members of Natural, including touching their abs and suggesting massages. Khan, a former member of the boy band US5 in the 2000s, accuses Pearlman of sexual harassment in his book "Tariq and I".
These allegations, while not definitively proven in a court of law, have been supported by Terenzi and suggest that Pearlman's misconduct was not limited to Khan and Terenzi. Other boy band members have reportedly experienced or been aware of such behavior.
According to a source describing the environment around Pearlman, there were young male singers who would be seen leaving Pearlman’s bedroom late at night. Some denied wrongdoing, but others’ parents—at least one member of the Backstreet Boys included—complained about inappropriate conduct. This behavior was an "open secret" among aspiring boy band members, with Pearlman’s sexual predations known among many in the industry.
Steve Mooney, a former assistant to Pearlman, explicitly called Pearlman a sexual predator and claimed that all the talent knew about his behavior. Rich Cronin of the boy band LFO suggested that Pearlman’s interest in his male singers was more personal and predatory than professional, implying a pattern of behavior beyond what was publicly acknowledged.
However, public speaking out about the abuse has been limited. Some survivors or witnesses have denied it, and others have remained silent due to the power dynamics and threats involved. The #MeToo movement did not exist during the time when Pearlman's alleged sexual misconduct occurred, which may have contributed to the silence.
Despite the challenges in speaking out, these insider testimonies have started to illuminate that Pearlman's sexual misconduct was more widespread than just the cases of Jay Khan and Marc Terenzi. The allegations have raised questions about the normality of such behavior at the time and the potential for more victims or witnesses to come forward.
[1] Source: The Guardian, "Lou Pearlman: Backstreet Boys manager and *NSYNC creator jailed for fraud", 2016.
I'm not going to be able to enjoy the music of those boy bands anymore, knowing the entertainment industry's dark secrets about their late producer Lou Pearlman. His sexual misconduct, as revealed by multiple boy band members and insiders, was not just limited to a few cases but was a known "open secret" among aspiring boy band members and those in the industry.
