The members of *NSYNC thought they were taking some time off between albums, then ended up on indefinite hiatus

Tim Roney/Getty, Kevin Winter/ImageDirect via Getty *NSYNC in 2000 (left), Justin Timberlake performing solo in 2002

*NSYNC’s dissolution was a heartbreaking surprise to their fans.

Though there was never a final moment where the band “ended,” it became clear after some time in the early 2000s that there were no plans to reunite. Members Lance Bass and Chris Kirkpatrick recall that time in Paramount+’s new documentary, Larger Than Life: Reign of the Boybands.

The band was aware that they’d be taking some time off after their 2002 tour, but what happened next came as a surprise to them all.

“2002 was our last tour. Justin was going to start his solo album which we were super supportive of. I thought that was a great idea,” Bass, 45, recalls. “The label told us, ‘Look, come back in six months,’ and we were supposed to go right into the next album. And that just never happened.”

Frederick M. Brown/Getty *NSYNC at 2002 Grammy Awards

Bass says the group was “just phased out without any fanfare at all, no goodbye. We just never got back together.”

Kirkpatrick, 53, says, “It was hard. There was a lot of animosity at first. There was a lot of anger. There was a lot of resentment. I remember thinking, ‘Are we ever getting back together again?’ “

“It was just a very confusing part of our life right there because we didn’t know what was happening,” Bass agrees.

Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Justin Timberlake at a 2002 “Justified” party

Manager Johnny Wright explains how the release of Justin Timberlake’s debut solo album Justified ended up taking his life on a different path.

“From Justin’s standpoint, when he’s got the No. 1 album in the country and he’s got offers to tour the world, it’s like, how do you come back to that? I’ve got to fulfill this. It’s not that I’m saying goodbye, I just can’t stop this,” he says in the doc.

Justin Timberlake Hilariously Reacts to Divorce Sign at His Concert

Bass says that it wasn’t what was happening that upset the group, which also includes Joey Fatone and JC Chasez. Rather, it was how the situation was handled.

“Business-wise, I get that. Justin has the most talent in the world and we wanted to give him that respect,” he says, adding, “But, tell us that.”

Learn more about *NSYNC’s run and competition between the group and other boy bands as they all rose to fame in Larger Than Life: Reign of the Boybands, now streaming on Paramount+.