Backstreet Boys' AJ McLean opens about addiction struggle: "Fortunately, I missed a large bullet"

Time of India

10-05-2025

Backstreet Boys' AJ McLean opens about addiction struggle: "Fortunately, I missed a large bullet"
Backstreet Boys
member AJ McLean has opened up about his addiction to drugs, sharing how close he came to catastrophe at the peak of the opioid epidemic. In an interview, McLean discussed his path through addiction, the turning points that altered his life, and how he eventually found hope and healing.
"Dodged a Huge Bullet" Amid the fentanyl crisis
When he guested on
The Lulu Podcast
, McLean, who has had hits such as 'I Want It That Way,' revealed that his use of drugs came close to ending in tragedy, particularly since the fentanyl epidemic was growing worse.
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"Fortunately for me, I avoided a gigantic bullet because the fentanyl epidemic hadn't reached the level that it is today, but it was occurring; it was there, but it wasn't quite as common knowledge as it is today," he disclosed. McLean admitted he was lucky to have retreated before things could have gone in a deadly direction.
A turning point in Miami
McLean spoke about a very bleak incident three and a half years ago that turned around his recovery. He shared, "I was doing a show in Miami on my own with a friend of mine and I went out that night. I went hard." The artist confessed that one thing led to another, and he was again taking drugs. Once he returned home, he tried to conceal his relapse by consuming lots of coffee and breath mints. "I consumed a c**p tonne of coffee and tried breath mints and all this rubbish," he stated.
Even though he tried to keep his addiction hidden, McLean's wife knew about his issues already. "My wife had known all along and was simply waiting for me to be truthful, which was my greatest issue for decades-being truthful with anyone concerning it because I was attempting to make it work. And naturally, as we all know, it worked until it did not," he confessed. The stress of addiction ultimately led to the dissolution of his 13-year marriage, McLean and his wife having two daughters together.
Family and recovery
The 'Missing You' singer revealed that it was his daughter who ultimately inspired him to seek help and turn his life around. Hitting rock bottom, McLean recognized the need for change and is now grateful for the second chance he's been given. 'I hit rock bottom, but I'm glad to have come out of it better,' he reflected.