Lance Bass Claims Harry Styles Has Been Ready to Leave One Direction 'for Many Months'

Lance Bass is making some pretty bold claims about One Direction.

During a recent appearance on The Meredith Vieira Show, the 35-year-old boy band veteran said that Harry Styles has been ready to leave the British boy band for months, and in fact, was about to leave before Zayn Malik made the decision first.

Say what?!

PHOTOS: Quitting the Band: Musicians Who Left Popular Groups

"Harry Styles has been ready to go solo for many months," Lance said matter-of-factly. "In fact, he's been recording solo, he was about to leave. The Zayn thing was just spur of the moment, but I think the best move he could have ever done because -- everyone, Harry Styles is a household name, my grandma knows who Harry Styles is -- Zayn Malik, didn't really know the know name until he was the first to leave the group."

"So kudos to him for being smart to leave," he added.

Lance admitted he's surprised the boy band has even lasted this long.

"I think the guys, they're always going to be friends," he mused. "They were put in a situation that they didn't know they were going to be put in. They came together on a television show so that they lasted this long as a group is a surprise to me. But hopefully the other four could go and do a little more music, but I see Harry leaving soon, and I don't see another One Direction album after he leaves."

Clearly, Lance has some experience with the matter, given his own past with 'N SYNC. Lance recalled the moment when Justin Timberlake broke the news to him and his fellow former boy band members JC Chasez, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick, that their initial band "break" was going to be permanent given the "Suit & Tie" singer's astonishingly successful solo career.

"There was a point where Justin sat us down and said, 'I just can't focus on 'N SYNC right now because my solo career's just going crazy,'" he revealed. "And you have to respect that, and we love that, and you can't expect someone to do something that they don't really want to do."

VIDEO: Watch the First Time Zayn Malik Tried to Quit One Direction

In March, fellow boy band member gone solo Nick Jonas shared his own feelings with ET about Zayn's surprising decision to leave One Direction. Watch below:

Nick Jonas on Zayn Malik Leaving One Direction: It's a Tough World

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