AJ McLean | Stardom with Backstreet Boys, Alcohol & Drug Addiction, Recovery Advocate & Podcast Host

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AJ came from a broken but supportive home. He didn’t know his dad and wasn’t part of his life growing up. He was raised by his grandparents and mother in a 3-bedroom apartment. At the age of 15, AJ got his record deal with the Backstreet Boys. His newfound stardom gave AJ the motivation to move out of his house at the age of 17, after getting in a huge fight with his mom.
AJ didn’t actually start drinking until he was 25. He started with hard alcohol right off the bat and got worse from there. Then during an early morning music video shoot, he tried cocaine for the first time. After that, he was buying large amounts from a friend in Florida. AJ was up to an 8 ball a day. Eventually, AJ overdosed and was revived with an adrenaline needle, just like the scene with Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction. You would think that would be enough for AJ to stop, but it wasn’t.
In 2001, the Backstreet Boys were supposed to throw out the first pitch at a Boston Red Sox game. AJ was partying the night before, woke up hungover, and told his manager that he wasn’t going. This prompted a fight with his band members where he quit the band on the spot. The manager gave him the option of going to rehab, and he accepted.
AJ stopped drinking and using drugs for the first time in 2001. He was able to stay sober for 7 years. Then in 2008, out of the blue, their friend Shania Twain had a concert coming up in Las Vegas. Originally, AJ wanted to do a date night with his wife at the show, but she couldn’t make it and said to go by himself. AJ knew his wife wouldn’t be there with him, so immediately he called his dealer. He thought he would be able to sober up before coming back home, but he just couldn’t stop.
Then again in 2019, Backstreet Boys had their massive DNA World Reunion Tour. When AJ got the call to go to Vegas for the residency, his wife called him and told him “Don’t even bother coming home” because she knew he was partying too much. The breaking point for him was when he got home, his daughter came to sit by him on the couch. Normally she cuddles with him, but this time she said “you don’t smell like my dad” and this crushed AJ. This was the catalyst to get help and begin his sobriety.
The pandemic recently was the silver lining for AJ. None of the temptations from the road were messing with his mental health, so he could really focus on his family and health. AJ has now been sober for 20 months. He’s traveled twice by himself now and hasn’t relapsed. Now he’s part of the “Pretty Messed Up Podcast” along with Cheryl Burke & Rene Elizondo where they talk about their problems, addictions, and how they’re dealing with them. Now with his new podcast, AJ hopes to remove the stigma with mental health by speaking openly about his experiences.
This is AJ McLean in his own words, on Knockin’ Doorz Down.
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