Joey Fatone Opens Up About Losing Power Due to Unpaid Bills and Seeking Help
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Joey Fatone recently reflected on a challenging period in his life, candidly admitting he faced financial hardship after *NSYNC’s hiatus in 2002.
In a sneak peek of ID’s new docuseries *Boy Band Confidential*, Fatone shared insights about his financial situation following the boy band’s peak. He revealed that he purchased a 4-acre property featuring a 10,000-square-foot home during the height of *NSYNC’s* success, only to nearly face bankruptcy after the group disbanded.
“Money was coming in. I asked my accountant, ‘Hey, are we good?’ ‘Yeah, we’re great,’” Fatone recalls. He noted his accountant’s confident assurance, stating, “Your kids’ kids’ kids will be fine,” which led him to believe his finances were secure.
However, the situation took a downturn when the revenue dried up. “You go 10 years later after that conversation, and when I go to a new accountant, I say, ‘Hey, man, can you look at my finances and what’s going on?’” he explained. The new accountant’s assessment was stark: “You need to get out of that house or you’re gonna go bankrupt.”
Fatone confessed that many were unaware of his financial struggles, which hit a particularly low point during the holiday season. “This is where the low part was happening for me. There was one point during Christmas, they shut off the lights to my house ’cause I didn’t pay the bill,” he stated, expressing his fear that the public would learn of his difficulties.
“This happens in normal people’s lives as well,” Fatone reflected, noting he was married with two children at the time. He grappled with the challenge of addressing his financial issues while maintaining his public image.
Later in the clip, Fatone revealed that his attempts to seek financial assistance from acquaintances were largely unsuccessful. “I was asking people for money. And funny enough, the people that I asked that mostly had the most money in life, they were like, ‘Can’t help you,’” he shared.
*Boy Band Confidential* explores the dynamics of boy bands in the 1990s, featuring interviews with former *NSYNC member Lance Bass, AJ McLean from the Backstreet Boys, and Wanya Morris and Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men. The four-part docuseries uncovers the challenges faced by pop stars at the height of their fame and the subsequent fallout. The series premiered on Monday and will conclude on Tuesday night (April 14) at 9 p.m. PT on ID, with episodes available to stream on HBO Max.
Watch the sneak peek below.
