Ain’t nothin’ but a heartache.
Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean and his wife, Rochelle McLean, announced in a joint statement Monday that they are separating after 11 years of marriage.
“Marriage is hard but worth it. We have mutually decided to separate temporarily to work on ourselves and on our marriage with the hope of building a stronger future,” the estranged couple told Page Six.
“The plan is to come back together and continue to nurture our love for one another and our family. We ask for respect and privacy at this time.”
The McLeans also asked for kindness, as they have they share two daughters: Elliott, 10, and Lyric, 6. (Elliott used to go by the name Ava.)
“Separation is hard enough without the commentary,” they said. “Please be kind and remember there are children involved.”
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The “I Want It That Way” crooner, 45, and the hairstylist, 41, tied the knot in December 2011 after six years of dating. They married at the Beverly Hills Hotel as the groom’s bandmates watched.
AJ has been through various trials and tribulations with his wife by his side. In 2018, he announced he had relapsed after struggling with alcoholism and substance abuse issues.
“Look, I have no shame in saying I’ve relapsed over the past year. It’s no secret that this is a disease and that it’s a daily struggle,” he said at the time.
“Are my kids and my wife a huge support and a huge inspiration? Yes, a hundred percent. But at the same time, the biggest problem I deal with, with them, is putting myself first and not my family first. Because in my mind, that’s what you should do — you should put family first.”
AJ sought treatment in 2001, 2002 and 2011 for depression and excessive alcohol consumption but now surrounds himself with support groups and attends meetings with regularity.
TMZ was first to report the news of the separation.
