Backstreet Boys' AJ McLean and wife Rochelle split after 11 years of marriage to 'work on ourselves'

AJ, 45, and Rochelle, 41, a makeup artist and hairstylist, had been working as a waitress when they met in 2008. Photo: AJ McLean/Instagram

After 11 years of marriage, AJ McLean of the Backstreet Boys and Rochelle Deanna McLean have mutually decided to separate, according to reports.

"Marriage is hard, but worth it," the pair said in a joint statement, according to TMZ, which was first to report the news. "We have mutually decided to separate temporarily to work on ourselves, and on our marriage with the hope of building a stronger future."