Everything to Know About AJ McLean's Personal Life

Inside AJ McLean's enduring marriage with Rochelle McLean: The singer is a doting father of two!  

Best known as a member of the '90s vocal group, Backstreet Boys, AJ McLean is a singer, dancer, and actor. McLean, along with his other band members, Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Kevin Richardson, and Brian Littrell, rose to fame in the early 90s and continued to soar throughout the 2000s.  

Born Alexander James McLean, on January 9, 1978, in West Palm Beach, Florida, he was the first member to land a spot in the boyband, in 1992. Through the band's groundbreaking success and his own solo feats, McLean has weathered a rollercoaster-like journey. The singer-turned-actor recently came to the spotlight after sharing his personal battles.    

Inside AJ McLean's Personal Life!   

The Backstreet Boys crooner and Rochelle McLean had a good run for over 11 years but the couple has been on a break since earlier this year. The spouses announced their decision to separate in March. "We have mutually decided to separate temporarily to work on ourselves," the duo's statement read.   

McLean and Rochelle's big step to better their relationship not only imparts an encouraging message but also asserts one's faith in the institution of marriage. An insider recently shared how their brief separation has proved to be a journey of self-exploration for both AJ and Rochelle.  

The pair first met in 2008 when Rochelle was working as a waiter at Saddle Ranch in West Hollywood. Though AJ was almost immediately taken off his feet, it took a little convincing on his part to finally woo Rochelle. The duo started dating a year later in 2009 and one more year in, McLean proposed to Rochelle.   

The couple tied the knot in December 2011. The spouses have since welcomed two daughters and largely kept out of the spotlight. Despite keeping it on the low, AJ and his estranged spouse occasionally popped on the headline, including in 2020- when the I Want It That Way hitmaker, who has a history of drug, and alcohol addiction, gave fans an insight into his disease, and how it affected his marriage. 

"[Rochelle] was at her wit's end with me," McLean said in the conversation, adding, "If I were her, I would have left, but she's always been able to see through the B.S. to who I really am." A source recently revealed that though the temporarily estranged pair have promised to reconcile in the near future, they don't really see it happening.    

McLean celebrates two years of sobriety amid separation from Rochelle! 

The source also disclosed that it was Rochelle who initiated the split. "Close friends don't see them getting back together, though AJ really thinks they will," the source shared. While the two navigate their individual healing journey so that they can be better parents and spouses, AJ is commemorating a big milestone. The Have it All crooner is celebrating 2 years of sobriety. 

"[It's been a] little over two years sober now, and life is just beautiful," said McLean, 45, whose transformative journey happened after he decided to let go of his celebrity persona. The Backstreet Boys star dished on how he asked his bandmates, friends, and close acquaintances to call him Alexander, instead of AJ. 

Get to Know AJ McLean's Wife and Kids!  

McLean's wife, Rochelle, was with him through thick and thin for 11 years. Although AJ is better known of the two and fans are only familiar with his wife through his credits, Rochelle is certainly accomplished in her own right. Here's everything we know about Rochelle, who has decided to break free of the good wife stereotype and put herself first.   

Rochelle Deanna Karidis, as mentioned before, met AJ when she was a waiter. She has since changed her profession and cemented a notable profile. Rochelle has so far worked as a model, hairstylist, and makeup artist. Her work has been featured on Nick's Big Show, Project Hollywood, and more. 

Over the years, AJ has hired his wife for three of his music videos, namely, God, Your Mama, And Me, No Place, and Boy and a Man. AJ and Rochelle are doting parents to two girls, Ava, and Lyric. Their firstborn, Ava, was born to them over a year after their wedding in November 2012.  Their family became complete with the arrival of Lyric in 2017.  

There isn't much to know about AJ's daughters, who are still riding through their innocent years, but that doesn't mean the singer's girls have been completely hidden from the spotlight. McLean and Rochelle's oldest, Ava, 11, sparked a slew of suspicious headlines when she made a conscious decision to change her name last year.  

Ava's decision to change her name to Elliott was starkly supported by AJ and Rochelle. Fans couldn't help but speculate if the name change was a gender thing. The now-estranged couple set the record straight by clearing that their daughter just wanted a unique name for herself. "I didn't really see the harm in respecting her desire to be unique," Rochelle explained. 

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