AJ McLean and his wife Rochelle DeAnna McLean have announced that they are ending their marriage after 12 years together.
The Backstreet Boys singer, 45, and Rochelle, 42, said earlier in March that they had split “temporarily” and hoped to reconcile in the future. Nine months later, on January 1, the couple announced their breakup on AJ’s Instagram.
“As you all know, we have been separated for over a year,” they wrote on social media. “Although we had hoped for reconciliation, we have decided to officially dissolve our marriage. It is with deep love and respect that we have made this decision.”
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AJ and Rochelle, who recently attended a screening of the film Trolls: Unite with their daughters Elliott and Lyric, plan to remain friends.
AJ and Rochelle McLean with their daughters.
Albert L. Ortega/Getty
“Our focus now is moving forward in the healthiest way possible with the friendship and co-parenting of our girls at the forefront of this next chapter,” they continued in a statement. “We appreciate your kindness, respect and privacy at this time.”
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AJ and Rochelle were married in December 2011 in Los Angeles. They met three years ago while she was a waitress in a restaurant.
In a statement released in March, the couple detailed their split.
“Marriage is hard, but worth it,” they said. “Together we have decided to temporarily separate to work on ourselves and our marriage with the hope of building a stronger future. The plan is to get back together and continue to nurture our love for each other and our family. We ask for respect and privacy at this time. Separation is hard enough without comment, please be kind and remember that there are also children involved.”
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Source: HIS Education