As Justin Timberlake’s solo rollout gained momentum, media outlets began to frame *NSYNC’s hiatus as potentially permanent. In an Entertainment Weekly feature, manager Johnny Wright remarked that the five-member boy band format was “starting to fizzle,” casting doubt on the group’s long-term trajectory. Meanwhile, fan forums buzzed with gossip: a Popdirt.com summary of a JJB post claimed Wright told a fan at the MTV VMAs that Justin would finish *NSYNC’s album, tour solo, then regroup with the band for a joint tour. MTV News confirmed that Lance Bass had been dropped from the Soyuz mission due to unfulfilled obligations, and Space.com reported that April 2003 would be the earliest possible launch window. In an interview with Teen People, Timberlake expressed confusion over the public’s fixation on the group’s status, saying “there’s always going to be a group.” These mixed signals—between official statements, fan-sourced quotes, and media interpretation—made September a turning point in how the hiatus was perceived.
1 – PopDirt.Com posted a summary of gossip from the JJB (Just Justin Board) forum from a member with the username “Vixx x”.
Title: Johnny Wright Fills In On Justin Timberlake & *NSYNC Plans
Author(s): Unknown
Original Source: JJB Forum thread (thread unavailable)
Secondary Source: PopDirt.Com
Current Link: http://popdirt.com/johnny-wright-fills-in-on-justin-nsync-plans/7241/
2 – Entertainment Weekly published an article about the Justified album. This graphic contains a quote attributed to *NSYNC’s manager Johnny Wright.
Title: It’s Gonna Be Me: Boy-band goody two-shoes Justin Timberlake Steps Out of Line…For a Solo Dance
Author(s): Tom Sinclair
Original Source: Entertainment Weekly
Current Link: https://ew.com/article/2002/09/20/its-gonna-be-me/
3 – MTV News reported that Lance Bass was rejected from the Soyuz mission for unfulfilled obligations.
Title: Lance Bass’ Team Says Space Dream Ain’t Over Despite ‘Termination’
Author(s): Jennifer Vineyard
Original Source: MTV.com
Current Link: http://www.mtv.com/news/1457300/lance-bass-team-says-space-dream-aint-over-despite-termination/
4 – Space.Com reported on the status of Lance Bass’ position on the Soyuz shuttle and cosmonaut training.
Title:Lance Bass to Resume Cosmonaut Training, Won’t Fly Until April At the Earliest
Author(s): Simon Saradzhyan
Original Source: Space.Com
Current Link: http://web.archive.org/web/20021004111831/http://space.com/missionlaunches/bass_resumes_020920.html
5 – Teen People.Com published an interview with Justin Timberlake. This graphic contains a quote that was directly attributed to him in the article.
Title: What’s Next for ‘NSync?
Author(s): Zena Burns
Original Source: Teen People.Com
Current Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20021204060824/http://www.teenpeople.com/teenpeople/stars/spotlight/story/0,8102,347196,00.html
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