'N Sync Level Fighting Words at Label


'N Sync Level Fighting Words at Label
'N Sync respond with harsh salvo in legal battle with label

The food fight disguised as a lawsuit between 'N Sync and its former label Trans Continental just got nastier. In written responses filed in federal court late Tuesday afternoon, group members insist they have been deceived by Trans Continental boss Lou Pearlman, "an unscrupulous, greedy and sophisticated businessman who posed as an unselfish, loving father figure and took advantage of our trust."

The name-calling stems from the ugly breakup between multi-platinum `N Sync and Trans Continental, which has been playing out in public in recent months. During the summer, the boys, crying foul over their original Trans Continental contract, bolted to Jive Records. Trans Continental, joined by its U.S. partner RCA Records, went to court to prevent the move as well as to collect $150 million in damages. With `N Sync responses now on file, the two parties are expected to meet in a Florida court sometime this month. Don't look for any warm greetings, though.

According to the affidavit filed by `N Sync member Joshua Scott Chasez (a k a JC), Pearlman (who also hatched the Backstreet Boys) was not the force behind `N Sync's success, as he has claimed. Chasez testified Pearlman did not come up with the `N Sync name, was not responsible for grooming the boys' act, rarely attended rehearsals, was not present in the recording studio when the group recorded their first album.

In addition, according to Chasez, Pearlman refused to pass along a fair amount of album sales and merchandising earnings to the members, and urged them not to hire outside lawyers. Chasez testified that Pearlman, by naming himself the group's sixth member as well as business manager, took one-sixth of the earnings. Pearlman was also acting as the `N Sync manager (finding them work), and their business manager (taking care of the money).

Responding to the plea from Trans Continental that a judge put an injunction on `N Sync's scheduled album release with Jive, set for early 2000, Chasez testifies, "We are painfully aware that our careers may be brief...We are overdue for a new record and if we don't have one another group may capture the attention of our audience. An injunction may be the end of `NSYNC. However, we cannot work with people who have lied to us and taken advantage of us."

In response, Trans Continental and RCA parent BMG issued a joint statement which insisted, "The false and inflammatory rhetoric contained in the court papers filed [Tuesday] have no place in a court of law, where we are confident that the group's exclusive obligations to Trans Continental and BMG will be upheld."

ERIC BOEHLERT
(November 3, 1999)



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