To be a member of theBackstreet Boysin the ’90s was to truly have it all.
Women of all ages were enamored with theboy band, each pining for their favorite member.
The group smashed records and drew enormous crowds everywhere they looked.
Their brand was successful then and continues to be decades later.
Yet in all those good times, amid the prosperity and partying,AJ McLeanhad a dark secret.
For 20 years, the artist was privately battling addiction.
“I was off the walls.”
Like so many who suffer from addiction, McLean worked hard to keep his secret safe.
His band members didn’t even know how bad things were until they were impossible to ignore.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available.
Visit theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration websiteor contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
“Before I even got on the plane, I had already mapped out the whole night.
I knew where I was going to go get my drugs.
I knew where I was going to go get drunk.
I knew all of it and I figured, ‘Okay, it’s one night.
My wife won’t know; everything’s going to be great,'” he toldPeople.
“I never slept.
I missed my first two flights back home and reeked of alcohol when I got home.
And when she said that to me, that was it.
I felt disgusting.”
“As we say in the sober world, that was my moment of surrender.
I have tried and I have failed miserably.
So help a brother out,'” McLean toldPeople.
I see the final desperation in his eyes.’
I showed up at 5:20.
I’m like, ‘I’m in this, dude.'"
McLean has done the work and reaped the benefits.
He’s been sober since December 2019 and is committed to the lifestyle.
