Lou Pearlman was once a famous talent manager who helped bring boy bands like Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC to prominence in the 90s and early 2000s. Pearlman also founded Trans Continental Records and Trans Continental Airlines, among other companies. However, he was eventually convicted of orchestrating the longest-running pyramid scheme in the US, which landed him in prison in 2008.
Docuseries 'Dirty Pop' Exposes Lou Pearlman and His Scams
Now, Netflix’s explosive documentary series Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam is re-examining Lou Pearlman’s financial crimes. The three-part limited series premieres on the streaming service on July 24, 2024. It features interviews with Backstreet Boys singers AJ McLean and Howie Dorough, *NSYNC’s Chris Kirkpatrick, and O-Town’s Erik-Michael Estrada, among other artists.
Lou Pearlman was reportedly alive when he was sentenced to 25 years in prison and later died in prison in 2016. The cause of death was cardiac arrest. Pearlman was sentenced to prison in 2008 after pleading guilty to charges including conspiracy, money laundering, and making false statements in bankruptcy proceedings.
Late fraudster and former talent manager Lou Pearlman was the mastermind behind the successes of the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC. Once he was at the top, he used the boy bands’ names to lure investors into investing in his other companies. He claimed that all of these companies were part of his umbrella company, TransContinental, ABC News reported.
