Trivia

His right earlobe was ripped in half by a fan who grabbed his earring while reaching up to touch him.

Admitted himself to an undisclosed clinic for alcohol abuse, depression and anxiety (July 10, 2001)

Huge Frank Sinatra fan, he actually cried when he died. Has a Game room with four Sinatra posters hung on the wall.

AJ & his wife, Rochelle Karidis, welcomed daughter Ava McLean (Ava Jaymes McLean) on November 27, 2012.

AJ took dance lessons in ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, rhythm tap, rhythm hip-hop, contemporary, ballroom, salsa, merengue and gymnastics as a child.

A.J. was absent from London's Party in the Park 2000 concert tour because his grandfather had surgery, so Elton John temporarily replaced him in the performance along with the other Backstreet Boys.

His prized possession is his class ring.

Has 35 tattoos, possibly more.

Won a silver medal on the Nick sports show, Guts in 1992.

Engaged to longtime ex Sarah Jo Martin (December 2001) and then broke off their engagement in 2002.

Was a child model when he was 5.

His father's ancestry is English, Scottish, and Irish. His maternal grandfather was Cuban and his maternal grandmother was German.

A.J. and his wife, Rochelle Karidis, welcomed daughter Lyric Dean McLean on March 19, 2017.

Bandmates: Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell and Kevin Scott Richardson

Proposed to his love of 10 months, hairstylist/make-up artist and model Rochelle Karidis, on stage at the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel's Wasted Space nightclub while celebrating his 32nd birthday [January 2010] after meeting in October 2001 at Choreographer's Carnival where she was a Halloween dancer, before meeting up again at Saddleback Ranch in November 2006 when she was a Hollywood waitress and bartender and "asked her out," But, instead of winning her over right then and there, she flatly rejected him. She chose to have fun with her companions instead until he tried again a year later and went out on March 22, 2009.

The only member of the group with two daughters until bandmate Nick has two of his own.

A.J. and his wife, Rochelle Karidis, were expecting a 2nd child together in March 2017.

A.J. is presently at work designing clothes and jewelry for his new fashion line, Skullee Rose. (May 2006)

Member of boy group Backstreet Boys

Son of Denise McLean and Robert McLean.

Has postponed his previously planned nuptials (originally set for May 7, 2011) with Rochelle Karidis.

A.J., Brian, Nick, Kevin and Howie (The Backstreet Boys) have finished their fifth album due fall 2005. (January 2005)

traveling with the group to promote their latest album, Unbreakable. (November 2007)

As of the 16th of February he and Backstreet Boys Brian, Howie and Nick are on tour for the latest album "Unbreakable" in Japan (February 2008)

(2016-2017) Working in the studio recording songs for the new Backstreet Boys album.

Stated on an Instagram post that he went down the wrong path, which caused his addiction for the past 35 years, blaming himself, losing his self-esteem, and creating a horrible path surrounding himself with the wrong toxic people, developing toxic relationships, and the most toxic one with himself.

He claimed that the cause of his addiction was probably due to his missing out on his childhood and having low self-esteem.

His mother Denise McLean got remarried until his stepfather's death in June 2021.

Is close friends with actress Tai Li Bond.

Currently on tour with the Backstreet Boys and released the groups newest single "Incomplete." (April 2005)

He relapsed and is now two years completely sober by doing his best to be a better husband and father to his family.

Backstreet Boys single: "Incomplete" (April 2005).

Was in the studio recording songs for the new Backstreet Boys album. (May 2002)

Stated that his grandmother was like a second mother to him. After her death from heart failure in 2001 he struggled with alcohol addiction.

Began following a strict diet; grain-free, gluten-free, plant-based, and sugar-free, before his appearance on [Dancing with the Stars].

His grandfather and uncle were the only two father figures in his life when his father wasn't around since his parents divorced when he was 2-3.

Credits Rochelle with motivating him to get sober and overcome his drug addiction for many years.

He and Rochelle are temporarily separated to work on themselves and their marriage, hoping to build a stronger future. They have been communicating and getting along well through therapy, so McLean's now busy focusing on his family and health journey.