It’s a fact of life that powerful male music managers can never be trusted — if I was a pop star, I would only work with women. Netflix’s new documentary, Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam, dives into the story of Backstreet Boys and NSYNC manager Lou Pearlman, who took advantage of artists and is responsible for the longest-running Ponzi scheme in American history. Lou was the founder of Trans Continental Records, which launched those major boy bands as well as Aaron Carter, O-Town, Brooke Hogan, and Natural. He formed close bonds with his artists and then totally ripped them off.

When Lou gave NSYNC their first check in 1998, band member Chris Kirkpatrick was excited about the $10,000 payment. But then, “the smart one named JC [Chasez] said, ‘How much do you make in a year at Outback?’” Chris recalls in the documentary. The band eventually realized, “There’s something incredibly wrong. Why are we still working our butts off for nickels and dimes, and Lou’s making millions?”

Lou pleaded guilty to his crimes in 2007, and he passed away in 2016. His scheming negatively impacted countless employees, friends, musicians, and trusting investors. My jaw was on the floor pretty much throughout the entire documentary: Here are all the shocking revelations about Lou Pearlman in Netflix’s Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam.

The Wildest Revelations About Lou Pearlman in Netflix’s Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam

Why Did Members Of NSYNC And Backstreet Boys Sign With Lou Pearlman?

Lou was a father figure for a lot of those guys. Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean shared that he and his bandmates even called the music manager “Big Poppa.” He points out in the doc, “This was this man that took us under his wing.”

Chris from NSYNC explained that when you get that kind of opportunity to make it big in music, you can’t turn it down. “It doesn’t matter if the contract’s written in raccoon blood,” he said. “You’re signing it because it’s your deal, it’s your shot.” Chris didn’t grow up with wealth, and when he met Lou, he was relieved by the prospect of financial stability. “I came from a trailer and he’s living in this mansion with all of this stuff and he’s got all these accolades,” the singer recalled, adding, “He must be somebody.”

Why Did Backstreet Boys And NSYNC Sue Lou Pearlman?

the Backstreet Boys — Image Credit: Getty

In 1998, Backstreet Boys filed a lawsuit against Lou after they’d made $300,000 since their debut and Lou had made $10 million. “We were blindsided to Lou being the sixth member of the group,” AJ remembered. “You’re going to make your management commission, but you’re also going to make exactly how much the five of us make, and you’re not out there doing what we’re doing.”

NSYNC fired Lou as their manager and sued to get out of their contract in 1999, but they ultimately wound up paying him a $64 million settlement.

Was Lou Pearlman A Pedophile?

Dirty Pop addresses rumors that Lou engaged in pedophilia. While no one who participated in the documentary ever witnessed Lou committing that crime, some of them explained that they had their suspicions. “Never saw it,” Erik-Michael Estrada from O-Town stated. “Wasn’t a part of my life. Wasn’t a part of my experience. However, there was some suspect behavior.” He noted that he “feels bad for any victims” if that did occur.

Chris from NSYNC believes Lou was inappropriate with his artists. “He’d always talk [about], ‘I need you guys in shape, whatever,'” the artist reflected. “Started coming up, grabbing our arms. Then it was like, ‘Well, let me see your abs.’ You’re like a 50, 60-year-old guy — that’s too far.”

Lou’s former assistant, Mandy Newland, said in the doc that he was “touch-feely” with the boy band members, but she didn’t think he was ever explicitly inappropriate.

What Happened To Frankie Vasquez Jr.?

One of Lou’s friends and employees, Frankie Vasquez Jr., died of carbon monoxide poisoning that was ruled “an apparent suicide” in 2006, according to the Tampa Bay Times. In the weeks before he died, Frankie was acting strangely, and he tried to warn people about Lou during a dinner with Lou, Lou’s friend, Andy Gross, and the members of the band, Natural. “He’s like, ‘You don’t get it. You’re gonna get it,” Patrick King of Natural recalled.

Frankie’s mother, Julia Vasquez, had invested over $150,000 in Lou’s businesses after her son advised her to do so. She believes that Lou is partially to blame for Frankie’s death.

Lou Pearlman’s Ponzi Scheme Explained

Basically, Lou said that he owned a business called Trans Continental Airlines and leased airplanes bought with investors’ money. However, the Office of Financial Research determined that there were never any planes. He used his fake “successful” airline and his popular boy bands to keep getting investors. Cheney Mason, Lou’s former defense attorney, calls Lou a “master forger” in the doc, noting, “He would forge signatures and create false seals. … Lou Pearlman had totally false bank statements, tax returns.”

Lou stole $500 million in total, and only about $10 million has since been recovered. “Nearly 2,000 individuals and families invested with Pearlman over more than 30 years,” a statement at the end of Dirty Pop reads. “It was the longest-running Ponzi scheme in American history.”

In 2007, Lou pleaded guilty to charges of money laundering, conspiracy, and making false statements during a bankruptcy proceeding.