“Marriage is hard”: Backstreet Boys singer AJ McLean splits with his wife 28.03.2023, 15:05

The cult boy band frontman has moved out of the family home he shared with his 41-year-old wife and children. The Backstreet Boys member clarified that he has taken a break from his marriage, separating from Rochelle but not divorcing her. “Marriage is hard, but worth it. We have mutually decided to temporarily separate to work on each other and our marriage in hopes of building a stronger future,” AJ said.

The singer expressed the hope that the interruption of family life will allow him to reassess his present and future and draw the right conclusions. “The plan is to come back for a reunion and continue to grow our love for each other and our family. We ask for your respect and privacy at this time. The breakup was hard enough for us, so we’ll do without comment. Please be kind and remember that there are children involved,” McLean added.

The popular artist met the make-up artist and hairdresser in October 2001 after he broke up with singer Sarah Martin. On January 8, 2010, during his birthday party at the Wasted Space nightclub in Las Vegas, AJ proposed to Rochelle after a six-year romance. The group’s lead singer made a spontaneous decision – he bought the engagement ring a few hours earlier in a nearby jewelry store in the Hard Rock Hotel building. A year later, the lovers married at the Beverly Hills Hotel in the presence of the rest of the Backstreet Boys. On November 27, 2012, Rochelle gave birth to the singer’s daughter, Ava, and on March 19, 2017, the couple welcomed their second daughter, Lyric, according to TMZ.

Rochelle has a successful career in Hollywood. She worked as a hair and make-up artist in the films The Suicide Population (2008) and The Family Jewels (2009), as well as in the television series The Hollywood Project (2010). It is noteworthy that just three months ago, the chosen artist published a retrospective picture with her husband, who congratulated him on his 11th wedding anniversary.

Last year, AJ spoke about his journey to recovery after 20 years of drug and alcohol addiction. “I’ve never been sober. Not even for a second. And the turning point for me was that when I got home, my wife could smell it on my breath and my youngest daughter didn’t want to talk to me. Now I want to live with my beautiful children, my wonderful wife, my career, my brothers. I have never felt more grounded than I did today,” said AJ McLean.