The Truth About Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean and Wife Rochelle McLean’s Marriage

AJ McLean and Rochelle McLean announced divorce: The pair have been married for more than a decade: Complete story here!

AJ McLean might be an unfamiliar name among today's generation, but he is and will remain one of the most beloved artists among the millennials and the 90s pop fan. Best known as a member of the Backstreet Boys, who came and swept pop music off its feet in the 90s, McLean, too, rose to global stardom with the band's pinnacle. The band's other members, including Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, and Kevin Richardson, have followed similar career trajectories as AJ with the group's fame and post-fame era.  

Alexander James McLean was born on January 9, 1978, in West Palm Beach, Florida. McLean was 14 when he landed the coveted spot in the boy band and it was a few more years of shaping and preparing the band for its launch before it could take over the world in the 90s and early 2000s. Alongside his stellar stint with Backstreet Boys, AJ has also had a successful run as a solo performer. Although we haven't heard much of AJ's life in recent times, the singer's personal hit the headline as he and his wife decide to separate after more than a decade together.  

Inside AJ McLean and Rochelle McLean's Marriage!  

Yes, AJ and his wife of eleven years, Rochelle Deanna Karidis, have decided to call it quits, but not permanently. The McLean couple's temporary split announcement has many scratching their heads, but it's as simple as the singer explains in his statement. "Marriage is hard but worth it," the Backstreet Boys star said in his statement before adding, "we have mutually decided to separate temporarily to work on ourselves, and on our marriage. The plan is to come back together and continue to nurture our love for one another and our family."    

Many are of the opinion that the singer and his wife may never reconcile in the future and that this could be the end of their decades-long relationship. Although the possibility of permanent separation is equivalent to the chances of the duo rekindling, let us remind you that this isn't the first time AJ and Rochelle are navigating a hard time in their marriage. The duo met for the first time in 2008.   

Rochelle, who is now a makeup artist, and hairstylist, used to work as a waitress at Saddle Ranch in West Hollywood when McLean asked her out. And like most cliche celebrity-fan love stories, Rochelle didn't know a squat about AJ. The As Long as You Love Me hitmaker reveals Rochelle ghosted her after one date and it was only after a year that the pair reconnected and it worked out for the best.    

AJ and Rochelle started dating in 2006 and on his 32nd birthday in 2010, AJ proposed to his girlfriend of many years. The twosome tied the knot on December 17, 2011, at the Beverly Hills Hotel in a star-studded affair, and of course, with his fellow Backstreet Boys members in attendance. The McLean couple welcomed their first daughter in 2012 and another in 2017. Throughout the years as doting spouses, the singer and his wife have got candid about their marriage many times.   

McLean once called Rochelle his "superhero" and credited her for having his back at all times. "She's my superhero," the Have It All singer said, adding, "she has been through hell and back with me. If there was an award for everything that she does on a daily, she deserves them all." The I Want It That Way crooner has been open about Rochelle's support for him throughout his recurring battle with alcohol and drug addiction.  

Get to Know AJ McLean's daughters!  

The 45-year-old singer and his wife share two daughters. Their eldest, Ava Jaymes McLean, was born to the couple, in 2012. They welcomed another daughter, Lyric, in March 2017. There's not much to know about the McLean girls as both of them are still in their early stages of life. Ava is in fourth grade and Lyric celebrated her enrolment in kindergarten last year. To anyone wondering, AJ doesn't think he is missing on life by not trying to have a son.   

"Obviously, daughters look up to their dad and it’s such a good feeling. To be able to go on daddy and daughter dates and get our nails done and do all that kind of stuff to me is just awesome, and there's nothing better for me than having girls," the proud father said as he gushed about his daughters. The Dancing with the Stars alum added,  "I don't think I would know what to do if I had boys, to be honest with you."   

McLean's oldest daughter, Ava, changed her name to Elliot last year, which had fans wondering if she has discovered her identity at a tender age and had decided to embrace it. AJ and his wife had to come forward to put the swirling "transgender theory" to a stop. "For those asking, not that it's anyone's business but Elliott's name change is not a gender thing," AJ said. The Backstreet Boys singer's wife added, "she wanted something unique that no one else had. I didn't really see the harm in respecting her desire to be unique."  

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