After 11 years of marriage, Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean and Rochelle Deanna McLean have jointly decided to part ways, according to reports.
“Marriage is difficult. But it’s worth it,” the pair said in a joint statement, according to TMZ, which was the group first to report the news. “We have made the decision together to temporarily part ways to pursue our own careers and our marriage in hopes of building a stronger future.”
The couple said they planned to “Get back together and continue to take care of the love we have for each other and our families.”
“We ask for respect and privacy at this time,” they added. “Separation is hard enough without explanation. Please be kind and remember that children are involved.”
AJ, 45, and Rochelle, 41, makeup and hairstylists. AJ had worked as a waitress when they met in 2008. They married in 2011 in a gothic wedding at the Beverly Hills Hotel. AJ had asked Rochelle the year before while celebrating his 32nd birthday by kneeling on stage at Nightclubs in Las Vegas
The couple have two daughters together, Elliot, 10, and Lyric, who recently celebrated their sixth birthday.
AJ credits his wife for her support while battling substance abuse. He had been in and out of treatment since 2001 before sobering up in 2021.
“(Rochelle) was no longer with me,” McLean told People in 2020. “She tossed and took the girls, but my ego kept telling me, ‘She’s not going anywhere,'” he said. I must have left But you can always know through BS who I really am.”
McLean has been on the road for the past year for the Backstreet Boys’ DNA World Tour. The boy band recently wrapped up a show in Hong Kong and is on hiatus until late April. By starting another tour in Iceland. It then traveled to countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, India and South Africa.
