Backstreet Boys’ Aj Mclean On What Helped Him Overcome Being A ‘chronic Relapser’ After Narrowly Avoiding Jail

Though AJ McLean has had his stock of nationalist ups and downs, nan Backstreet Boy prima — who has been unfastened astir his struggle pinch addiction passim nan years — has proven that betterment is possible. 

In an exclusive question and reply pinch Fox News Digital, nan proud begetter of 2 — who stars arsenic nan big of Netflix's singing title series, "Building The Band" — sewage candid astir nan challenges he's faced wrong his sobriety journey, elaborate nan lessons he's learned on nan measurement and explained why he doesn't person "another relapse" successful him.

"I'm sober today. I can't show you what's going to hap tomorrow. And I was sober yesterday. I enactment successful nan now. I enactment successful nan moment. I return everything in," McLean, who is gearing up to observe 4 years of sobriety this fall, said. "It is nan age-old saying of stopping and smelling nan roses. I really physically extremity and smell flowers. I person a different assurance — not arrogance, not ego — that I've ne'er had. And it's a assurance that is empowering."

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Backstreet Boys' AJ McLean specifications nan challenges he's faced, and nan bullets he's "dodged," connected his roadworthy to sobriety.  (Michael Kovac/Getty Images for On Our Sleeves)

"That is because of nan activity I've put successful and proceed to and will person to do nan remainder of my days successful existence," he continued. "It doesn't extremity erstwhile you extremity doing nan work, erstwhile you extremity spreading your experience, spot and hope, reaching retired to different addicts and different group successful nan world that whitethorn beryllium suffering from whatever, if you extremity doing that, is erstwhile s--- goes south. That's erstwhile nan ego becomes nan villain, and it takes over."

In 2021, McLean referred to himself arsenic a "chronic relapser" aft recalling a infinitesimal successful which he drank intoxicant soon aft completing rehab.

"I tin do short bursts and I'm OK. Because moreover erstwhile I would relapse, I wouldn't spell connected a bender," he told big Alexis Haines during an section of nan "Recovering from Reality" podcast. "I americium a chronic relapser, but I've ne'er gone for for illustration a period consecutive of conscionable drinking and partying. It's been for illustration 1 night, and past I'm sober for a week aliases two. And past it's 1 night. It was ever backmost and forth."

The popular star, who has been successful and retired of sobriety for years, said he's "dodged much bullets" successful his life than group think. 

"The narcotics and alcohol, for me, that was a Band-Aid. I suffered from thing my champion friend calls ‘Piece of s---ism.' I had nary self-esteem."

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"I don't person different relapse successful me," he admitted to Fox News Digital. "It will not extremity nan fortunate measurement it has ended successful nan past erstwhile I've dodged bullets and ne'er went to jail, ne'er sewage a DUI. I'm beautiful judge nan past clip I did drugs, location was fentanyl successful there. I'm still present talking to you. I've dodged much bullets than I'd for illustration to."

While McLean — who shares 2 daughters, Elliot, 12, and Lyric, 8, pinch his estranged wife, Rochelle — knows that astir of his past is nationalist knowledge, he hopes to power nan communicative by having honorable and earthy conversations pinch his children. 

McLean, who has been successful and retired of sobriety for years, said he doesn't person different relapse successful him.  (Christopher Polk/Penske Media via Getty Images))

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"My girls are very smart, and I've been capable to beryllium brutally honest, to a definite degree, astir my past," he said. "I don't want to scare them… I want them to cognize capable astir their dada that erstwhile they're allowed societal media, erstwhile they're allowed these things, they don't publication it and get a different perception. I want them to perceive it from nan horse's mouth."

As a personnel of 1 of nan most celebrated boy bands successful history, fame inevitably took a toll connected McLean —who mislaid show of who he was location on nan way. 

McLean was 16 years aged erstwhile he joined nan Backstreet Boys successful nan 1990s.  (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)

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"That's really nan guidelines of nan biggest problem," he said. "The narcotics and alcohol, for me, that was a Band-Aid. I suffered from thing my champion friend calls ‘Piece of s---ism.' I had nary self-esteem. So you won't do esteemable things without self-esteem and nan maturation that has happened from that departure to now. You inquire my bandmates, you inquire my family, I americium a different person. I americium nan personification that's ever been there. It conscionable sewage benignant of stifled."

The popular prima is dada to 2 daughters: Elliot, 12, and Lyric, 8.  (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic))

"I don't want to stifle that personification anymore," he continued. "I cognize that AJ McLean is simply a personnel of a band, but it doesn't specify me. I'm Alexander James. That is who I am. AJ is simply a characteristic successful a set that I play that I'm very grateful, has had a 32-year profession and hopefully more. And I'm beyond grateful for that. But it doesn't make maine who I am. It doesn't specify me."

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Kickstarting his profession arsenic a popular prima astatine conscionable 16 years old, McLean said he and "Building nan Band" co-star Liam Payne shared galore similarities — some personally and professionally. 

"We did stock a batch of parallels, moreover though there's a immense property gap," he said of nan precocious One Direction member, who tragically died astatine nan property of 31 from falling disconnected a edifice pavilion successful October. 

Though Payne, who served arsenic a personage judge connected nan Netflix show, faced his ain addiction battles passim nan years starring up to his death, McLean said he was fortunate capable to spot nan precocious vocalist astatine his "truest" aforesaid while connected set. 

AJ Mclean said he shared a batch of "parallels" pinch "Building The Band" co-star and One Direction set member, Liam Payne - who tragically died successful October 2024.  (Getty Images)

"There were still a batch of similarities of nan highs and lows, but I sewage to spot him successful his truest form, and he lit up immoderate room he walked into," McLean said. "He was a gentleman. He was funny. He was super-talented, truthful well-spoken to of these bands, giving his feedback, could get his constituent crossed without ever sounding condescending aliases discouraging."

"He ever vanished pinch a affirmative anecdote aliases a affirmative remark to support these bands inspired and to not suffer dream aliases get frustrated. And it takes a existent stand-up personification to do that. And that's what he was. He was an absolute stand-up individual, talented beyond talented."

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(L-R) Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Zayn and Louis Tomlinson made up One Direction, 1 of nan best-selling boy bands of each time. (Getty Images)

The show, which besides stars Destiny's Child's Kelly Rowland and Pussycat Dolls' Nicole Scherzinger, will spot talented singers vie for a chance to shape nan adjacent awesome euphony group show unseen, leaving looks retired of nan equation.

"What I emotion truthful overmuch astir it, dissimilar different euphony title shows, it's twofold," McLean said. "One, it's a rate prize. There's nary getting stuck successful a container pinch a awesome grounds woody and perchance getting shelved aliases being told what to deterioration and what benignant of euphony to do and who's nan frontman aliases frontwoman. These bands get to power their ain destiny, and it gives nan powerfulness backmost to nan artist. So that's a immense positive for me.

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While McLean — who is besides gearing up for different Las Vegas residency pinch nan Backstreet Boys this summertime — is grateful for his past, he's very overmuch looking guardant to nan future. 

"I tin show you, honestly, it has been an unthinkable journey," he said.