AJ McLean reveals moment he knew he had to go sober as he vows his kids will 'never' see him drunk

Perth Now

09-05-2025

AJ McLean has vowed that his children will "never" see him drunk.
The 47-year-old pop star - who Elliott, 12, and ight-year-old Lyric with ex-wife Rochelle Kardis - struggled with addiction at the height of his fame but almost four years after deciding to go sober, he has insisted that while his kids have never seen him under the influence, they are more than aware of his past.
Speaking on the 'Turning Points' podcast, he told 'Shout' hitmaker Lulu: "Now it's come to the place where, fortunately, for both my girls, it's not unheard in the world that I am in, that I'm an alcoholic, and I'm an addict.
"I've been sober now for almost four years and I've been in and out of the rooms for over 25 years. Luckily for my kids, they've never - not once - seen me drunk or high.
"They never will, they never have to. But it is talked about in my house. I have explained it to my girls because they're both very, very in tune with what's going on in the world, they're very smart girls.'
The Backstreet Boys star recalled the last time he had any alcohol, and knew he had to give it up when his eldest refused to give him a hug when he returned from a heavy night.
He added: "The biggest turning point for me was three and a half years ago. I was doing a show in Miami on my own with a friend of mine and I went out that night. I went hard. Luckily for me I dodged a huge bullet because the fentanyl crisis hadn't escalated to where it is now, but it was happening, it was out there, but it wasn't as much common knowledge as it is today. "And at that point in my life, I had taken all the dealers out of my phone, so I didn't know anybody in Miami - I'm hanging out with some random people.
"One thing led to another. I got drunk, ended up doing drugs. It could have killed me. It didn't for whatever reason, but it could have.
"But when I flew home the next day, as most addicts do, we try to mask it. I drank a crap tonne of coffee and tried breath mints and all this stuff.
"But my wife already knew and was just waiting for me to be honest, which was my biggest problem for years - being honest with anyone about it because I was trying to make it work. And of course, as we know, it worked until it didn't.
"But when I got home, my oldest was at dance class, my youngest was home. I walked up to give her a hug and she wouldn't give me a hug. And I was like, 'what's going on babe?'
"And she's like, 'I don't know, you don't smell like my daddy'. And that was it. Like the biggest light bulb in the world went off and I was like, 'what are you doing? Why are you still doing this?'
"The next day I went back to a meeting, and I have been sober ever since, but this time is different. This time I'm doing what has been suggested. I'm going my 12 steps. I'm showing up
Listen to all episodes of 'Turning Points' featuring Boy George, Brian Cox, Kristin Scott Thomas, Anastacia, and John Legend on Spotify.