NSync's Lance Bass says he was a victim of sexual harassment by a music industry executive when he was 16
It comes after Ashley Judd reveals she was sexually harassed by a Hollywood studio executive in the nineties
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Your support makes all the difference.Lance Bass, former member of boyband NSync, has opened up about being sexually harassed and touched by a music industry executive when he was a teenager.
Bass was speaking about sexual harassment on US TV when he made the point that men can be victims, too. One of the presenters asks if he has ever been a victim during his career, which he confirms.
“When I was 16, 17 years old, there was someone that we worked with that was inappropriately touching us. I was even aware then, at 16, that this guy was a paedophile and he was touching me oddly.”
Bass said he never felt victimised by the incidents, and said he didn’t speak up about it or report it, but the group - which included Justin Timberlake - would often joke about it.
“I mean, with the guys we would talk about it. We would kinda joke about it - but it’s not a joking thing. As a kid, it was odd.”
It comes shortly after Ashley Judd revealed that she was proposition by a Hollywood executive during the nineties. The man, who she did not name, invited her to his hotel room, asked her to help him get dressed and suggested she watch him in the shower.
“I beat myself up for a while. This is another part of the process. We internalise the shame,” Judd told Variety.
But Bass said he was glad to go through it with the others.
“I’m glad that we were aware [it was wrong] and didn’t feel victimised at the time,” he said.
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