AJ McLean’s marriage had been crumbling for months prior to his separation announcement, multiple sources tell Page Six exclusively.<br /><br />“They were living apart since at least January,” one insider reveals of the Backstreet Boys member and his now-estranged wife, Rochelle McLean.<br /><br />“AJ left their marital home,” the insider adds.<br /><br />A second source, meanwhile, tells us the couple’s split “was a long time coming” and that “there is more to the story.”<br /><br />AJ’s reps did not respond to Page Six’s repeated requests for comment.<br />The McLeans released a joint statement Monday to share the news that they had “temporarily” parted ways after 11 years of marriage.<br /><br />“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,” AJ, 45, and Rochelle, 41, said.<br /><br />“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.<br />The “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” singer and the hairstylist also asked that fans “be kind and remember there are children involved.”<br /><br />They share two daughters: 10-year-old Elliott, formerly known as Ava, and 6-year-old Lyric.<br /><br />AJ and Rochelle, who married in December 2011, have endured their fair share of ups and downs over the years.<br />The Grammy nominee has struggled with drug abuse and alcoholism for over two decades, even describing himself a “chronic relapser” at one point. He celebrated one year of sobriety in September 2022.<br /><br />“AJ is kind of the celebrity who was living the rock-star lifestyle, and Alex got stuffed down,” he admitted to the “Today” show at the time, using his real name.<br /><br />“But now I’ve come to a place where they can both coexist.”
