Hello! Magazine reported that Backstreet Boys star AJ McLean has announced that he is getting divorced from his wife, Rochelle DeAnna. The former couple is officially calling time on their relationship after 12 years of marriage.
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This came nine months after they shared that they had separated, though they had initially hoped that they would eventually be able to rebuild bridges. In March 2023, they revealed to TMZ that they had “mutually decided” to separate in the hopes of “building a strong future.”
The Couple Originally Intended to Reconcile
Hello! reported that they said of their separation that “marriage is hard but worth it.” They explained that their reason for separating was to “work on ourselves and our marriage.” The couple went on to say, “The plan is to come back together and continue to nurture our love for one another and our family.”
They also requested to be given privacy to work their issues out. They said, “Separation is hard enough without the commentary. Please be kind and remember there are children involved.” But yesterday, AJ and Rochelle released a joint statement on social media to share the news of their divorce.
In the statement, they wrote, “As you all know, we have been separated for over a year now. While we have hoped for reconciliation, we have decided to officially end our marriage. It is with deep love and respect that we have made this decision.” They continued, “Our focus now is moving forward in the healthiest way possible with friendship and co-parenting our girls at the forefront of this next chapter.” And finished the post with, “We appreciate your kindness, respect, and privacy at this time.”
The statement appeared on AJ’s Instagram account but was signed by both AJ and Rochelle. The post quickly attracted attention. NSync star Lance Bass showed his support for AJ, commenting on the post with a series of heart emojis.
AJ and Rochelle Were Married for Nearly Twelve Years
The couple first met in 2008 and got married ten years later. Having dated for the previous six years, after AJ proposed to Rochelle on her birthday. According to Hello!, when AJ met Rochelle, she was a waitress. They married on December 17, 2011, at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Among those in attendance were AJ’s Backstreet Boys bandmates.
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In December 2022, Rochelle celebrated their 11th wedding anniversary with an old photo of the couple. Along with the picture, she posted lyrics from the Guns ‘n’ Roses song November Rain, alongside a black heart emoji and #eleven.
AJ and Rochelle share two daughters, Elliot and Lyric.
