Shocking Hollywood announcements

OK, I'm back home from press tour now and I still have a couple of press tour-related posts to put up, but I had to blog on this one because I found it hilarious. Hello, Lance Bass, of course you are gay. You are so gay that I see no need to make an announcement about it. On the other hand, I was watching the South Park episode the other night in which Tom Cruise and John Travolta literally won't come out of the closet and for some reason R. Kelly is there singing about how they need to come out the closet and then suddenly brandishing a gun. Unbelievably funny and also pointing out that some people should just go ahead and make an announcement already. But with Lance, I think we were already on to you man.

Now if the rest of N Sync would please come forward and clear some things up for us, that would be helpful.

Lance Bass: I'm gay

'N Sync singer worried he would harm group

Lance Bass is involved with Reichen Lehmkuhl of "Amazing Race."

NEW YORK (AP) -- Lance Bass, band member of 'N Sync, says he's gay and in a "very stable" relationship with a reality show star.

Bass, who formed 'N Sync with Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick, tells People magazine that he didn't earlier disclose his sexuality because he didn't want to affect the group's popularity.

"I knew that I was in this popular band and I had four other guys' careers in my hand, and I knew that if I ever acted on it or even said (that I was gay), it would overpower everything," he tells the magazine.

'N Sync is known for a string of hits including "Bye Bye Bye" and "It's Gonna Be Me." The band went on hiatus in 2002. Bass has also found headlines for undertaking astronaut training and failing to raise money for a trip into space.

Bass says he wondered if his coming out could prompt "the end of 'N Sync." He explains, "So I had that weight on me of like, 'Wow, if I ever let anyone know, it's bad.' So I just never did."

The singer says he's in a "very stable" relationship with 32-year-old actor Reichen Lehmkuhl, winner of season four of CBS' "Amazing Race."

Bass and Fatone, 29, are developing a sitcom pilot inspired by the screwball comedy "The Odd Couple," in which his character will be gay.

"The thing is, I'm not ashamed -- that's the one thing I want to say," Bass says. "I don't think it's wrong, I'm not devastated going through this. I'm more liberated and happy than I've been my whole life. I'm just happy."

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.