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Although AJ McLean has had his share of public ups and downs, the Backstreet Boy star — who has been open about his battle with habit all through the years — has confirmed that restoration is feasible.
In an unique interview with Fox Information Digital, the proud father of two — who stars because the host of Netflix’s singing competitors collection, “Constructing The Band” — bought candid in regards to the challenges he is confronted inside his sobriety journey, detailed the teachings he is realized alongside the way in which and defined why he does not have “one other relapse” in him.
“I am sober immediately. I am unable to inform you what is going on to occur tomorrow. And I used to be sober yesterday. I keep within the now. I keep within the second. I take all the things in,” McLean, who’s gearing as much as rejoice 4 years of sobriety this fall, stated. “It’s the age-old saying of stopping and smelling the roses. I really bodily cease and odor flowers. I’ve a special confidence — not conceitedness, not ego — that I’ve by no means had. And it is a confidence that’s empowering.”
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Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean particulars the challenges he is confronted, and the bullets he is “dodged,” on his street to sobriety. (Michael Kovac/Getty Photographs for On Our Sleeves)
“That’s due to the work I’ve put in and proceed to and should do the remainder of my days in existence,” he continued. “It does not cease while you cease doing the work, while you cease spreading your expertise, power and hope, reaching out to different addicts and different folks on the planet which may be affected by no matter, when you cease doing that, is when s— goes south. That is when the ego turns into the villain, and it takes over.”
In 2021, McLean referred to himself as a “continual relapser” after recalling a second through which he drank alcohol shortly after finishing rehab.
“I can do quick bursts and I am OK. As a result of even after I would relapse, I would not go on a bender,” he informed host Alexis Haines throughout an episode of the “Recovering from Reality” podcast. “I’m a continual relapser, however I’ve by no means gone for like a month straight of simply consuming and partying. It has been like one evening, after which I am sober for per week or two. After which it is one evening. It was all the time backwards and forwards.”
The pop star, who has been out and in of sobriety for years, stated he is “dodged extra bullets” in his life than folks suppose.
“The medicine and alcohol, for me, that was a Band-Help. I suffered from one thing my finest good friend calls ‘Piece of s—ism.’ I had no shallowness.”
WATCH: BACKSTREET BOYS’ AJ MCLEAN ‘DODGED MORE BULLETS’ THAN HE’D LIKE TO ADMIT IN HIS JOURNEY TO SOBRIETY
“I haven’t got one other relapse in me,” he admitted to Fox Information Digital. “It won’t finish the fortunate means it has ended prior to now after I’ve dodged bullets and by no means went to jail, by no means bought a DUI. I am fairly certain the final time I did medicine, there was fentanyl in there. I am nonetheless right here speaking to you. I’ve dodged extra bullets than I would wish to.”
Whereas McLean — who shares two daughters, Elliot, 12, and Lyric, 8, along with his estranged spouse, Rochelle — is aware of that the majority of his previous is public data, he hopes to manage the narrative by having trustworthy and uncooked conversations along with his kids.
McLean, who has been out and in of sobriety for years, stated he does not have one other relapse in him. (Christopher Polk/Penske Media by way of Getty Photographs))
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“My women are very good, and I have been in a position to be brutally trustworthy, to a sure diploma, about my previous,” he stated. “I do not wish to scare them… I would like them to know sufficient about their dad that once they’re allowed social media, once they’re allowed this stuff, they do not learn it and get a special notion. I would like them to listen to it from the horse’s mouth.”
As a member of one of many most popular boy bands in historical past, fame inevitably took a toll on McLean —who overlooked who he was someplace alongside the way in which.
McLean was 16 years previous when he joined the Backstreet Boys within the Nineteen Nineties. (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Photographs for iHeartRadio)
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“That is actually the basis of the most important drawback,” he stated. “The medicine and alcohol, for me, that was a Band-Help. I suffered from one thing my finest good friend calls ‘Piece of s—ism.’ I had no shallowness. So you will not do esteemable issues with out shallowness and the expansion that has occurred from that departure to now. You ask my bandmates, you ask my household, I’m a special particular person. I’m the person who’s all the time been there. It simply bought type of stifled.”
The pop star is dad to 2 daughters: Elliot, 12, and Lyric, 8. (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic))
“I do not wish to stifle that particular person anymore,” he continued. “I do know that AJ McLean is a member of a band, but it surely does not outline me. I am Alexander James. That’s who I’m. AJ is a personality in a band that I play that I am very grateful, has had a 32-year profession and hopefully extra. And I am past grateful for that. But it surely does not make me who I’m. It does not outline me.”
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Kickstarting his profession as a pop star at simply 16 years previous, McLean stated he and “Constructing the Band” co-star Liam Payne shared many similarities — each personally and professionally.
“We did share quite a lot of parallels, regardless that there’s an enormous age hole,” he stated of the late One Course member, who tragically died on the age of 31 from falling off a resort balcony in October.
Although Payne, who served as a star decide on the Netflix present, confronted his personal habit battles all through the years main as much as his demise, McLean stated he was lucky sufficient to see the late singer at his “truest” self whereas on set.
AJ Mclean stated he shared quite a lot of “parallels” with “Constructing The Band” co-star and One Course band member, Liam Payne – who tragically died in October 2024. (Getty Photographs)
“There have been nonetheless quite a lot of similarities of the highs and lows, however I bought to see him in his truest type, and he lit up any room he walked into,” McLean stated. “He was a gentleman. He was humorous. He was super-talented, so well-spoken to of those bands, giving his suggestions, may get his level throughout with out ever sounding condescending or discouraging.”
“He all the time completed with a optimistic anecdote or a optimistic remark to maintain these bands impressed and to not lose hope or get annoyed. And it takes an actual stand-up particular person to do this. And that is what he was. He was an absolute stand-up particular person, gifted past gifted.”
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(L-R) Niall Horan, Harry Kinds, Liam Payne, Zayn and Louis Tomlinson made up One Course, one of many best-selling boy bands of all time. (Getty Photographs)
The present, which additionally stars Future’s Kid’s Kelly Rowland and Pussycat Dolls’ Nicole Scherzinger, will see gifted singers vie for an opportunity to type the subsequent nice music group sight unseen, leaving seems to be out of the equation.
“What I like a lot about it, not like different music competitors exhibits, it is twofold,” McLean stated. “One, it is a money prize. There isn’t any getting caught in a field with a serious document deal and probably getting shelved or being informed what to put on and how much music to do and who’s the frontman or frontwoman. These bands get to manage their very own future, and it offers the ability again to the artist. In order that’s an enormous plus for me.
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Whereas McLean — who can be gearing up for an additional Las Vegas residency with the Backstreet Boys this summer season — is grateful for his previous, he is very a lot wanting ahead to the longer term.
“I can inform you, truthfully, it has been an unbelievable journey,” he stated.
