Lance Bass: Ball night was the motivation for self-acceptance

Singer Lance Bass, 43, known for being a part of boy band *NSYNC, describes his high school prom night as a turning point in his now proud life as a gay man. Bass said Monday on the podcast of actress Danielle Fishel, 41, whom he dated in the ’90s and who was at her party at the time — a celebration that has accompanied him.

The musician explained that he still had a long way to go after that. “But that was definitely the straw that broke the camel’s back.” Fishel explained that at the time, she had a clear idea of how she would spend the night after her graduation. “And Lance was very nervous about my performance that night.” After a year together, Bass could have broken up with her within two weeks of the ceremony.

Bass, who came out as gay in 2006 and now has three children with husband Michael Turchin, posits that “Prom” night could be a major experience for many people: “I think a lot of people from the LGBT church, they ‘prom’ were Tonight is the night they say to themselves, ‘Wait a minute. This cannot happen again. I can’t keep doing this. Bass and Fishel say they are currently working on a film about their shared experiences.