Nick Lachey’s Revelations About 98 Degrees’ Early Days

Nick Lachey recently shared that during the 1999 tour with 98 Degrees, a book outlining the age of consent in every state was present on their tour bus.

At the time, Lachey was in his early 20s as part of what would become a major pop boy band. He described the book as “super shady” in the new documentary “Boy Band Confidential,” produced by NSYNC’s Joey Fatone, according to reports.

“This is going to sound super shady,” Lachey recalled, “but when we first started touring, someone from the label gave us a book with the age of consent in every state. We kept that on the tour bus.”

He further indicated that the purpose of the book was to safeguard the younger band members from potential issues as they navigated their rise to fame. “Unfortunately, there were people out there looking to tear you down,” he noted.

Alongside bandmates Jeff Timmons, Justin Jeffre, and his brother Drew Lachey, all of whom were between 21 and 24 at the time, Lachey faced the pressures of being in the spotlight. He reflected on the differences in how artists manage stress today compared to earlier times.

Lachey pointed out that unlike current stars, like Justin Bieber or Shawn Mendes, who may cancel tours for their mental health, he and his bandmates did not have that option. “You went out there, did the show, and afterward, you might break down. But you didn’t bow out. You worked too hard to get there,” he explained.

It’s a stark contrast that highlights how the music industry has evolved in terms of addressing mental health issues among artists.