Lou Pearlman, the man responsible for such iconic boy bands like 'NSync and the Backstreet Boys, has died. He was 62.
Pearlman had a hand in the boy band craze that swept the '90s. He also built his Trans Continental business, which further helped him amass a fortune. But the business was fraudulently built and Pearlman was convicted of fraud in 2008 after being caught running a $300 million Ponzi scheme. During his time at the helm of the boy-band scene, Pearlman was also suspected to be having inappropriate relationships with some of the young men he was managing. Pearlman denied any wrongdoing in this regard.
Pearlman was arrested in Guam after living under a false name and running from creditors and regulators. Hundreds of lawsuits were filed against him, including one by the Backstreet Boys.
At the time of his death, Pearlman was serving a 25-year prison sentence for the Ponzi scheme. According to Billboard, prison database records showed that Pearlman died on Aug. 19. 'NSync member Lance Bass tweeted the news about Pearlman saying, "He might not have been a stand up businessman , but I wouldn't be doing what I love today wout his influence. RIP Lou."
Justin Timberlake also took to social media over the weekend after hearing the news and tweeted, "I hope he found some peace. God bless and RIP, Lou Pearlman."
According to the Orlando Sentinel, Pearlman's cause of death at this time remains unknown.