AJ McLean in Los Angeles in January 2023.Photo:Michael Kovac/Getty
Michael Kovac/Getty
AJ McLeanis opening up about his ongoing recovery after struggling with addiction for more than 20 years.
As theBackstreet Boyssinger looks forward to marking two years of sobriety on Sept. 26, “I’m trying to keep my feet firmly planted in the program,” McLean, who hosts 12-step Alcoholics Anonymous meetings at his home, tells PEOPLE exclusively. “I’ve battled self-esteem issues my entire life, and I’ve learned a lot. My sobriety is the most solid it’s ever been."
He adds, “I’m in the best shape of my life, both mentally, physically, spiritually. I’m actually really happy and I love it, and I don’t want to lose it. I want to continue to keep growing, growing with my wife and my kids and myself.”
AJ McLean and his daughters in Los Angeles in April 2023.Amy Sussman/Getty
Amy Sussman/Getty
“So, going back to these places and getting out of my room and going and trying local cuisine, doing fun things,” McLean tells PEOPLE. “This last leg, going to places we’ve never been, Egypt, Iceland, Africa, Bahrain, and parts of Saudi Arabia, was beautiful,” he says, noting he can enjoy the experience and “take it all in. So, all I know is today’s a good day. Today is a damn good day.”
With his beloved Backstreet Boys crew — McLean is joiningNick Carter,Howie Dorough,Kevin RichardsonandBrian Littrell— at the Moon Palace in Cancún, Mexico toperform at an all-inclusive concert vacationfrom April 18-21, 2024. There, he’ll attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings “whenever I have a break,” he says. “It just takes two for a meeting.”
“So, I’ve got three of my buddies coming out with their wives,” he says of the concert. “Some of them are already going to be there and others are going to come out and actually check out the actual event. So, I’m like, ‘Hey, we’re there. Let’s sit down. Let’s have a little chat.'”
“I talk to my [Alcoholics Anonymous] sponsor every single day, multiple times a day,” he adds. “He’s my best friend, so I’m surrounded with it. I even got people that are on my crew that are in programs, so it’s always around me.”
Backstreet Boys band in the ’90s: AJ McLean, McLean, Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Kevin Richardson and Brian Littrell.Tim Roney/Getty
Tim Roney/Getty
McLean acknowledges his substance abuse and fame put astrain on his personal life at times. In March his wifeRochelle, 41 — with whom he shares daughtersLyric, 6, andElliot, 10 — revealed they hadseparated. Now the star (born Alexander James McLean) is focusing on his family amid his health journey.
“AJ’s a persona,” he tells PEOPLE. “Alex is who I really am. I need to know that when I’m done with AJ’s stuff, I’m a husband, I’m a father, I’m a friend. If I know how to turn that off, that’s a healthy way of living.”
For more from AJ McLean, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands everywhere Friday.
source: people.com
