A.J. McLean is happier and healthier than ever — and hoping to stay that way.
The Backstreet Boys singer, 47, shared he is in “the best head space I’ve ever been in my life” as he gave an update on his sobriety journey during an interview with People published on Thursday, July 10.
The Building the Band host has endured drug and alcohol addiction struggles since the age of 22 and attempted to go sober several times. Despite several relapses, the singer told the outlet he’s determined for his sobriety to last this time around.
“I’m sticking this one out all the way. It’s a daily thing. But I have finally done what has been suggested amongst the sober community, and my life has flipped in a positive way,” McLean told People.
AJ McLean Called His Sponsor After Hearing About Liam Payne’s Death
He added that a previous trip to Arizona was hugely beneficial to his mental health and his sobriety.
“I’m a huge advocate for the mental health community, and I wanted to go dig a little deeper into my own existence and really get to the root of why I did the things I did to hurt myself and the ones I loved,” he added.
McLean added that he’s been able to work on his low self-esteem issues as well as separate his identity and self-worth from being based solely on his ties to his boy band.
“I’ve discovered new verbiage, such as boundaries, never really had those. Now I have those, which is a blessing. AJ is a member of a group. He is a persona, but he doesn’t define me as an individual. Alexander James is who I am,” he continued.
While McLean has faced testing times, such as the 2024 death of his Building The Band costar, Liam Payne, he has leaned on his support network to get through.
Speaking to Us Weekly, McLean divulged that he called his sponsor after he found out about the One Direction singer’s death.
“I was literally on a Zoom call with my team,” McLean, 47, told Us earlier this month. “My manager told me what had happened, and I was like, ‘Guys, I got to get off the call. I’m sorry. I’ll catch up with you later.’ I just, kind of, sat there.”
McLean said he “called [his] sponsor” first before attempting to get in touch with fellow Building the Band costars Kelly Rowland and Nicole Scherzinger.
AJ McLean Texted Liam Payne the Day Before His Death
“All three of us kind of banded together and kind of talked to each other,” he continued. “We were kind of being support for each other.”
Throughout McLean’s decades-long battle, the singer has checked in and out of rehab multiple times. He has also admitted to overdosing twice.
McLean, who shares children Elliot, 12, and Lyric, 8, with ex-wife Rochelle McLean, previously revealed to People in 2020 that his “turning point” came after he returned from a booze-filled Las Vegas trip.
“What really hit me was the moment my youngest daughter Lyric said to me that night, ‘You don’t smell like my daddy.’ And when she said that to me, that was it. Enough said. I felt disgusting,” he said.
If you or someone you know suffers from addiction issues, call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357.
