Backstreet Boy Separating From His Wife After Almost 12 Years Of Marriage

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Backstreet Boy AJ McLean, married his wife Rochelle DeAnna McLean, back in 2011. The couple dated for 6 years before they said “I do” in a ceremony at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Now, almost 12 years later, the couple has decided to take some time apart.

In a statement released by the couple, they share that they are not getting divorced but “separating temporarily.” In this statement, the couple shares, “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 statement continues, “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. Separation is hard enough without the commentary, please be kind and remember there are children involved.”

Watch the video below to learn more about AJ and Rochelle’s plan to separate but come back together.

Besides touring and performing Backstreet Boys hits, AJ also competed on “Dancing with the Stars” in 2020. At the time, he spoke to Us Weekly about his wife and his time on the show. He called Rochelle his “superhero.” He added, “She has been through hell and back with me. If there was an award for everything that she does on the daily, she deserves them all. The greatest reward that I get from her on the daily is just a constant affirmation of love. She’s always there for me, it doesn’t matter what it is. She’s very supportive. She’s a great listener. We have amazing conversations—sometimes until the wee hours of the morning.” He continued, “Things are the best they’ve ever been today, and I couldn’t ask for anything else.” 

More recently, in December 2022, Rochelle took to Instagram to share a picture of herself and AJ. In the caption, she included lyrics from the Guns N Roses song “November Rain.” She wrote, “And when your fears subside \ And shadows still remain, oh yeah \ I know that you can love me when there’s no one left to blame \ So never mind the darkness, we still can find a way‘ \ Cause nothin’ lasts forever, even cold November rain.”

Do you think AJ and Rochelle will be able to strengthen their marriage by separating temporarily, or do you think they will end up getting divorced?