Second-cutest New Kids on the Block member (because omgJoeyweloveyouandwanttenthousandofyourbabies!) Jonathan Knight has been exposed by the National Enquirer as enjoying the company of other New Kids—which, if you follow such things on gossipy blogspots, seemed to be something of an open secret. Boy Culture scanned the expose in question, replete with damning kissy photos provided by a former lover:

Kyle Wilker, 27, tells the rag Jonathan realized he "preferred guys to girls" after dating Tiffany. (Sorry, Tiff. Ouch.) "We had a wonderful relationship. I was in love with him and I believe he was in love with me." [...]

[T]his "beautiful, romantic story" came to an end after 18 months with Wilker now telling the 'bloid that Jonathan likes to stay at home and watch TV and read. "I call him a straight guy who happens to be gay."

If you've already purchased tickets to the New Kids' triumphant comeback tour, we'd like to take this moment to emphasize that the alleged bedroom proclivities of its various members should have no discernible impact upon your concertgoing experience. They'll suck as much as they always did—no more, no less. So cheer up, ladies!

• Didn't I (Blow You This Time)? [Boy Culture]
• National Enquirer

We're sure that what we're all seeing is nothing more than Pearlman giving a fun piggyback ride to cherished protege A.J. McLean, and not some sinister incident in which he tazered the young charge into unconsciousness after a poor rehearsal, then headed down to an Orlando beach to show off his favorite new boy-stole.

• National Enquirer [nationalenquirer.com]
• Previously: Lou Pearlman Strikes Back Against The Delusional Accusations Of Disgruntled Boy-Banders [Defamer]

• On whether he had boys keep things from their parents, showed them porn, or took them to strip clubs: "I never had secrets kept from parents. Especially since at least one parent was always around to chaperone and drive the boys. I never showed any of our artists any porn. In fact, if they stayed in hotels while traveling with us, we prohibited minors from accessing those channels. What strip club do you know that would let minors in? Therefore, NO, I never took any minors to strip clubs."

• On massages Pearlman allegedly gave to members of his bands: "I paid for professional masseuses to give massages to our artists. I have no idea where this question is going? It is also true that I do not own a Neverland Ranch." [...]

• On an incident described in the Vanity Fair story in which former Take 5 boy-band member Tim Christofore describes Pearlman swan diving on a bed full of boys and wrestling with them wearing only a towel (which falls off):
"T.J. [Christofore] is making up this story. He sued me in child labor court and lost. If what he says is true, you would think he would have brought it up to help his case. The fact that he never mentioned this in court should tell you where he's coming from. He's just trying to join the lynch party. Besides, I've never owned a towel that could wrap all the way around me anyway."

We're especially glad to hear Pearlman's denial of the alleged towel incident fantasized by a former protege obviously embittered about his failure to reach Timberlakian heights of fame; perhaps now that we've been assured of its fundamental untruth, we'll finally be able to exorcise the disturbing image of the corpulent Svengali swan-diving onto a waterbed full of giggling Take-5ers whose innocence was stolen by an improperly secured swath of genital-obscuring terry cloth that we feared might haunt us for the rest of our lives.

• Lou Pearlman Battles Boys' Touching Tales [Radar]
• Mad About the Boys [VF.com]
• Music Manager More Interested in Boys Than Bands [ABCNews]