Bass: 'I came out to Britney'

Britney Spears knew `N Sync star Lance Bass was gay before anyone else - because he `came out' to her first.

Bass admits he told his pal about his gay secret shortly after she wed Jason Alexander in 2004 - more than two years before he went public.

Bass reveals: "I felt bad for her. I knew she was about to go through a lot of crap. I felt the need to share something.

"So I sat her on my bed, and I'm like: `Well, I'm gay!'"