The much-awaited docuseries Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam is all set to stream on Netflix. The much anticipated Netflix docuseries Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam will start streaming on July 24, 2024. Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam brings the truth behind veteran talent manager Lou Pearlman, the man who created the biggest boybands and artists of the 1990s including Backstreet Boys but later carried out created one of the largest Ponzi schemes in history using his influence. Now, the question arises who was Lou Pearlman and what scam he carried out? Below is all about Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam True Story-
Who was Lou Pearlman shown in Netflix docuseries?
Lou Pearlman was one of the biggest talent managers in Hollywood who later turned out to be one of the biggest scam artist. Lou Pearlman as a talent manager discovered the Backstreet Boys and N'SYNC in the ‘90s. Lou Pearlman's success & fame skyrocketed and therefore, he went on to manage a number of top US bands and artists.
Lou Pearlman started a talent search in the ‘90s for a new boyband to rival the success of US group New Kids on the Block. The five young men he discovered became the Backstreet Boys, and they went on to become one of the best-selling boybands of all time.
After Backstreet Boys, Lou Pearlman went on to form Justin Timberlake's group N'SYNC, who went on to take the pop crown from the Backstreet Boys. N'SYNC's 2000 album No Strings Attached went on to become the second biggest selling of the decade in the US - beaten only by The Beatles' greatest hits album, 1.
Thereafter, Lou Pearlman's success as Talent Manager continued when he put together O-Town.
What scam was done by Lou Pearlman?
As per reports, Lou Pearlman was jailed in 2008. The veteran talent manager was handed a 25-year sentence connected to one of the US's most notorious Ponzi schemes, which saw him defraud investors of over $1 billion. Lou Pearlman died in jail in 2016.
Lou Pearlman was sued in a federal court for misrepresentation and fraud. The investors were promised vast amounts of money, but Pearlman and his company only awarded them a fraction of what they expected while he made millions.
In a layman's language, Lou Pearlman encouraged people to invest in a company called Trans Continental International Inc. The then 14 year old Aaron Carter filed a lawsuit in 2002 that accused Pearlman and Trans Continental of cheating him out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. As per US media reports, Lou Pearlman used fake insurance documents to encourage investors to put their money into his scheme. Lou Pearlman's increasing popularity as a talent manager allowed him to expand this further and attract even more money.