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

The members of *NSYNC thought they were taking some time off between albums, then ended up on indefinite hiatus

*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. Members Lance Bass and Chris Kirkpatrick recall 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.”