The band decided to go on a hiatus in the spring of 2002.
Lance Bass is setting the record straight.
ET's Katie Krause caught up with the *NSYNC group member on Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles, California, where he candidly talked about his friendship with Justin Timberlake.
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Last week, Timberlake revealed the real reason why he decided to leave *NSYNC, after seven years with the group. The 36-year-old singer claimed that despite having immense success, he was ready to embark on new projects, which solely catered to the music and not to sold-out stadiums.
"We were on a stadium tour, and I just felt like the whole thing was too big," Timberlake said to The Hollywood Reporter. “It started as a fun snowball fight that was becoming an avalanche. And, also, I was growing out of it."
"I felt like I cared more about the music than some of the other people in the group," he added. "And I felt like I had other music I wanted to make and that I needed to follow my heart."
Bass says he completely understands Timberlake's reasons for leaving the group, but adds that everyone in the group was invested in creating good music.
"I mean, I don't think it's true," he said when asked about Timberlake's comments. "Obviously, we cared about the music, but I understand where he’s coming from for sure."
"At the height of *NSYNC, it was crazy," he continued. "I mean, you're getting pulled in so many directions and you do feel like you're not in control anymore. We started getting that control back towards the end when we started doing the Celebrity album."
"I think what he was talking about was on the Pop Odyssey Tour," he added. "It was a crazy time and it felt like it was everything but the music. It was all about the spectacle. The stage is so big and we have mechanical bulls and it's like, well, let's go back to what we do -- the music. So, I understand where he was coming from."
Despite the group going on a hiatus in the spring of 2002, Bass revealed they all remain in touch.
"I've never seen him happier," Bass said when asked about Timberlake's baby. "[He's] so in love with his family."
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"I think having a kid completely changes you," he added. "You go from being very selfish about your life, and it's all you really know until you have a family, and then there's this little person that's your life now. So, you put everything into that little person. It changes everyone and I've seen a change in him. He's just so happy."
For more on Bass, watch him on compete on My Kitchen Rules, which airs Thursdays on Fox.
