One of the Backstreet Boys appears to be a pro-Trump QAnon believer and his bandmates aren't happy

Remember how everyone thought things would magically get better once 2020 was over? Well, we're now about three weeks into the long-awaited new year and things haven't quite been as smooth and peaceful as we'd expected them to be. After all, 2021 kicked off with a violent pro-Trump attack on the US Capitol building that left five dead and revealed to many of us just how far-right some of our friends, family, and acquaintances are. While this wasn't exactly new information in some cases, I must admit that I was slightly "shooketh" by the drama brewing between the Backstreet Boys over one of them being a Trump-supporting QAnon believer.

Who? Brian Littrell. To be clear, the 45-year-old has been pro-Trump for years and even voiced his support for the band to perform at the 45th US president's inauguration. Littrell proclaimed his unwavering support for Trump while speaking to TMZ in 2017 during which he also said that Hollywood celebs should cool it with their criticism of the former businessman. "I have faith in the system. I have faith in his character, his beliefs, and his balls. Let's just put it that way," the singer said when asked if he thought Trump would be a good president.

"Hollywood needs to chill out. We're talking about the commander in chief. We're talking about respect," Littrell added. He also revealed that although "they" had personally asked him to get the band to perform at the inauguration, much to his regret, things didn't work out. Fast forward to four years later, and evidence that Littrell has fallen further into far-right conspiracies emerged on Twitter when he tweeted that he was on Parler — a social network that is used largely by conservatives, right-wing extremists, and QAnon believers.

Littrell's tweet came the same night Trump was banned from Twitter "due to the risk of further incitement of violence" in the aftermath of the Capitol riots. Needless to say, countless longtime fans of the iconic '90s boy band were heartbroken by this new development. While they mourned the downfall of a once-beloved pop icon, one of Littrell's bandmates gave a not-so-subtle hint of his disappointment in how things had turned out. About a week after Littrell tweeted about joining Parler, his cousin and bandmate of nearly three decades, Kevin Richardson took to the platform to share a link to an article about losing a friend to QAnon.

"Interesting read..." he captioned the link, along with three emojis that led many to believe that Richardson might be referring to his cousin's political affiliations. These suspicions grew stronger when the 49-year-old followed up by sharing another article titled, "The Unlikely Connection Between Wellness Influencers and the Pro-Trump rioters." These signs of a rift between the bandmates led to some fans digging up a screenshot from a 2015 Backstreet Boys documentary that shows Nick Carter screaming "Don't be a fucking d**k like everyone knows you are. Don't you understand what I'm saying?" at Littrell.

"It all makes sense now," tweeted @BBeafridaB. Meanwhile, many fans have extended their support and empathy to Richardson. "I’m so sorry. We’ve all grieved the people we thought our loved ones were before Trump. I never imagined anything could tear my relationships apart like this, but people are deciding which side of history they’re on & ultimately trading family for this man. It hurts... bad," tweeted brittany_noelll. "It has been heartbreaking to see people we love and respect spiral into living in a land of make-believe. A dangerous land, at that. I hope one day they all come to a higher consciousness, but I worry it’s already too late," wrote @melissaplanty.