- Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean and Wife Rochelle Separating After Nearly 12 Years of Marriage E! NEWS
- Backstreet Boys Singer AJ McLean and Wife Rochelle ‘Temporarily’ Split After 11 Years Together: ‘Marriage Is Hard’ Us Weekly
- Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean and Wife Rochelle Separate ‘Temporarily’ to Build a ‘Stronger Future’ Yahoo Entertainment
- Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean And Wife Separating | E! News E! News
- AJ McLean and Wife Rochelle Temporarily Separating ‘to Work on Ourselves’ Entertainment Tonight
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Tag Archives: McLean
Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean says band ‘fully support Nick Carter’ amid rape allegation
Backstreet Boys star AJ McLean says the band ‘fully support’ Nick Carter after he was accused of sexually assaulting a disabled woman in 2001.
Shannon ‘Shay’ Ruth, 39, who has autism and cerebral palsy, claims the singer, 42, invited her on to his tour bus when she was 17 following a band concert in Tacoma, Washington in February 2001, before raping her. Carter denies the allegations.
McLean, 44, who recently performed with the band at the Z100 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball in New York City told TMZ, the band ‘couldn’t be more solid’ in the wake of the lawsuit.
There for him: Backstreet Boys star AJ McLean says the band ‘fully support’ Nick Carter after he was accused of sexually assaulting a disabled woman in 2001 (pictured together 2005)
He said: ‘We all stand behind Nick and we all fully support him. He’s doing as great as he can
‘[The band] couldn’t be more solid.
The interview comes days after Ruth announced her lawsuit against Carter on December 8.
Ruth claims the star pulled down his trousers and exposed himself to her in a bathroom after a concert – before allegedly forcing her to perform oral sex on him and then raping her.
Support: McLean, 44, who recently performed with the band at the Z100 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball told TMZ, the band ‘couldn’t be more solid’ in the wake of the lawsuit (Carter and McLean pictured with Kevin Richardson,Brian Littrell and Howie Dorough last week)
She detailed the ‘pain, confusion, frustration, shame and self-harm’ brought on by the alleged incident and claimed Carter ‘threatened and tried to silence her’ in the immediate aftermath.
Ruth’s attorney Mark J. Boskovich said three other women – named only as Jane Doe – are named in a joint lawsuit alongside her.
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Ruth alleges she was invited on to the bus and Carter asked if she wanted a drink – after requesting apple juice, she claims he offered her cranberry and gave her a ‘red coloured’ drink he called ‘VIP juice’.
Ruth claims the drink tasted ‘off’ as she drank it and says she believes it was a mix of cranberry juice and alcohol.
It was claimed by Ruth that Carter took her to the bus bathroom and ordered her to perform oral sex on him. She alleges she was crying throughout but Carter ‘kept instructing her’.
Lawsuit: Shannon Ruth (pictured centre)- alleges Carter raped her on a tour bus in 2001 when she was a minor aged 17 – she is seen during a press conference on Thursday announcing her lawsuit against the star – Carter denies all allegations
And she further claims Carter then took her to a bed on the bus and continued his alleged sexual assault.
She claims afterwards that she told Carter she would tell people about the alleged assault – but that he reportedly threatened to turn people against her, allegedly calling her a ‘r******* little b**** that no one would believe’.
She said: ‘The last 21 years have been filled with pain, confusion, frustration, shame and self-harm that are a direct result of Nick Carter raping me.
‘Even though I’m autistic and live with cerebral palsy, I believe that nothing has affected me more or had a more lasting impact on my life than what Nick Carter did and said to me.
She alleged: ‘After he raped me, I remember him calling me a r******* little b**** and grabbing me and leaving bruises on my arm.
She added: ‘Carter tried to scare me into silence … he was nasty and threatening.’
‘He told people he would turn people against me and because he was Nick Carter, he had the power to wreck my life.’
She said she was motivated to speak out to ‘stop’ Carter from ‘assaulting more teens and women.’
Carter is pictured in September 2001 – seven months after the alleged rape
Ruth claims she contracted sexual transmitted infection, Human papillomavirus infection (HPV) from the alleged assault, having been a virgin beforehand.
She is now seeking damages.
She said: ‘Just because Nick Carter is a celebrity does not mean that he is excused from his crimes. I am a survivor and always will be.’
Mr Boskovich claimed ‘Nick Carter has a long history of abusing women’ and added that the music industry has allegedly ‘looked away’ in the past
He added: ‘Shay is determined to bring Carter to justice. She believes it’s worth it to protect other women.’
Following the allegations, the Backstreet Boys Christmas special that was filmed this month in Los Angeles has been cancelled, according to Variety.
A source close to Carter has denied the allegations and told TMZ: ‘This accusation is categorically false, Nick is focusing on his family and mourning the death of his brother.’
Carter’s younger brother Aaron Carter was found dead aged 34 in his bathtub in Lancaster, California, on November 5.
No cause of death has been officially declared, but he was known to have struggled with mental health problems and addictions.
Carter’s attorney Michael Holtz called the allegations ‘entirely untrue’ in a statement to DailyMail.com on Thursday.
RIP: Nick’s brother Aaron Carter was found dead aged 34 in his bathtub in Lancaster, California on November 5 (pictured in his final interview)
‘This claim about an incident that supposedly took place more than 20 years ago is not only legally meritless but also entirely untrue,’ he said.
Mr Holtz said: ‘Unfortunately, for several years now, Ms. Ruth has been manipulated into making false allegations about Nick – and those allegations have changed repeatedly and materially over time.’
He added: ‘No one should be fooled by a press stunt orchestrated by an opportunistic lawyer – there is nothing to this claim whatsoever, which we have no doubt the courts will quickly realise.’
Carter personally has remained silent on the allegations – but shared a post promoting a charity concert for Aaron on Thursday – hours before the claims came to light.
Carter has previously faced rape allegations – which he has denied – he has never been charged with any crimes.
In 2017 singer Melissa Schuman said that the boy bander allegedly raped her in 2003.
In 2018 the LA County District Attorney’s office announced it would not press charges against Carter due to the statute of limitations, which expired in 2013.
Melissa, who is from the 90s girl group named Dream, had filed the police report in February that year.
She claimed that in 2003 Nick had pushed her in a bathroom for forced oral sex and then claimed she was raped in the bedroom.
Nick has denied allegations of rape.
Later the Backstreet Boys star said in a statement that he was ‘shocked and saddened’ about the accusations.
He said: ‘Melissa never expressed to me while we were together or at any time since that anything we did was not consensual.’
Nick added that he ‘was always respectful and supportive of Melissa both personally and professionally.’
He concluded in the statement that ‘this is the first time that I am hearing about these accusations nearly two decades later. It is contrary to my nature and everything I hold dear to intentionally cause someone discomfort or harm.’
He continued, noting that they ‘went on to record a song and perform together.’
Melissa originally made the allegations in a November blog post.
She claimed that she was ‘forced to engage in an act against my will’ by Nick, who allegedly took her virginity when she was 18 and he was 22.
Past claim: In 2017 singer Melissa Schuman accused Nick of raping her in 2003 – he denied the claims and has never been charged with any crimes (pictured 2018)
‘American Pie’ singer Don McLean drops out of NRA convention after Texas school shooting
“In light of the recent events in Texas, I have decided it would be disrespectful and hurtful for me to perform for the NRA at their convention in Houston this week,” McLean, 76, said in a statement. “I’m sure all the folks planning to attend this event are shocked and sickened by these events as well. After all, we are all Americans.”
The news was first reported by the Portland Press Herald in Maine.
McLean is among a few performers who have announced they will no longer perform at this weekend’s convention. Country and gospel singer Larry Gatlin and Larry Stewart of the country band Restless Heart also said Thursday they were dropping out in response to the shooting at Robb Elementary.
McLean’s exit comes as gunmaker Daniel Defense, which manufactured the rifle used by Ramos in Tuesday’s massacre, appears to have also pulled out of the NRA convention. The NRA’s exhibitor list no longer includes Daniel Defense among the hundreds of gunmakers, firearm parts manufacturers and taxidermists appearing at the convention hall. The booth once claimed by Daniel Defense is now listed only as “the NRA.”
The NRA’s annual meeting this weekend in Houston, about 275 miles from Uvalde, is the largest gun-lobby gathering this year and comes after cancellations because of the coronavirus pandemic. It will feature talks from a group that includes former president Donald Trump, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.).
The NRA, which boasts more than 5 million members, is fighting a lawsuit by the New York attorney general accusing its executives of misspending millions of dollars.
Critics have blasted the NRA and Republicans who have accepted millions of dollars in campaign contributions from the organization during their political careers. Nineteen current or recent Republican senators, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and Sens. Rob Portman (Ohio) and Joni Ernst (Iowa), have taken at least $1 million each in campaign contributions from the NRA during their careers, according to data compiled by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence in 2019.
The NRA tweeted Wednesday that the organization and its members sent their “deepest sympathies” to the families of the victims of “this horrific and evil crime.” The gun-rights organization also noted that the convention would continue and that the NRA would “reflect on these events.”
“Although an investigation is underway and facts are still emerging, we recognize this was the act of a lone, deranged criminal,” the organization tweeted. “As we gather in Houston, we will reflect on these events, pray for the victims, recognize our patriotic members, and pledge to redouble our commitment to making our schools secure.”
On Thursday, Gatlin said he also was dropping out from performing because of what he cited as the NRA’s “outdated and ill-thought-out positions regarding firearms” in the United States.
“I cannot, in good conscience, perform at the NRA convention in Houston this weekend,” Gatlin, 74, said in a statement. “While I agree with most of the positions held by the NRA, I have come to believe that, while background checks would not stop every madman with a gun, it is at the very least a step in the right direction toward trying to prevent the kind of tragedy we saw this week in Uvalde — in my beloved, weeping TEXAS.”
Gatlin added that while he believes arming teachers would have helped prevent the mass shooting, the NRA needed to do more in light of the shooting in Uvalde.
“My prayers and thoughts go to all who are suffering, and I pray that the NRA will rethink some of its outdated and ill-thought-out positions regarding firearms in AMERICA,” he said. “I’m a 2nd Amendment guy, but the 2nd amendment should not apply to everyone. It’s that simple.”
Stewart echoed Gatlin in his support of the Second Amendment but said the events in Uvalde were too much for him to perform.
“So I have made the decision to pull out as a performer for the NRA convention this weekend, especially given the event is just down the road,” Stewart, 63, said in a statement. “I’m a strong believer in the 2nd Amendment and I know the NRA is a great organization who teaches strict gun safety with a membership of law-abiding citizens who love our country. I just believe this is best for me at this time.”
Among those performers still scheduled to play the NRA’s Saturday event is country music artist Lee Greenwood, whose “God Bless the U.S.A.” became a staple at Trump rallies. Trump confirmed on his social network, Truth Social, that he still plans on speaking at the weekend convention.
“America needs real solutions and real leadership in this moment, not politicians and partisanship,” Trump wrote. “That’s why I will keep my longtime commitment to speak in Texas at the NRA Convention and deliver an important address to America. In the meantime, we all continue to pray for the victims, their families, and for our entire nation — we are all in this together!”
Isaac Arnsdorf contributed to this report.
Fire Engulfs McLean Home Owned by Former Virginia Gov., 2 Injured – NBC4 Washington
A fire overran a large home in McLean, Virginia, early Wednesday, drawing firefighters from nearby counties and leaving two people injured, officials said.
The home is owned by former Sen. and Virginia Gov. Charles Robb and his wife, Lynda Bird Johnson Robb, the daughter of president Lyndon B. Johnson, according to property records. Officials didn’t immediately say who was in the house when the fire broke out.
Flames were burning throughout the first floor of the home in the 600 block of Chain Bridge Road when firefighters arrived, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue said.
The fire spread to the second floor, and flames were seen erupting from the roof, photos show. Smoke could be seen across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., witnesses said.
Here’s a video from the DC side of Chain Bridge. pic.twitter.com/bJ3OX9VOV0
— Justin Lilley (@jlilley626) December 22, 2021
Two people were taken to hospitals with injuries that are not life-threatening, officials said.
Firefighters from Fairfax, Arlington and Montgomery counties worked together to bring the blaze under control, and no other injuries were reported, officials said.
Video showed the home smoldering and collapsed.
Investigators are looking into what caused the fire.
Robb was the governor of Virginia from 1982 to 1986 and a U.S. senator between 1989 and 2001.
Robb purchased the home in 1973, according to property records. It was valued at more than $3 million last year.
Virginia Route 123/Chain Bridge Road was closed between Glebe Road and Merrie Ridge Road, our news partners WTOP reported.
Stay with News4 for more on this developing story.
Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean rips Britney Spears’ ‘insane’ conservatorship: ‘Completely brutal’
Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean is throwing all of his support Britney Spears’ way.
The former teen pop sensation weighed in on Spears’ controversial conservatorship while speaking to Andy Cohen on SiriusXM’s “Radio Andy” ahead of her appearance in court on Wednesday.
“I [can] tell you right now that, my thoughts and my prayers are with her,” McClean, 43, said of the pop icon.
He also declared that his “thoughts and prayers” are with her and that he’s “100% team Britney.”
BRITNEY SPEARS JOINS #FREEBRITNEY CHORUS AFTER NEW REPRESENTATION IN CONSERVATORSHIP IS APPROVED: ‘BLESSED’
Britney Spears was granted permission to hire her own attorney in her conservatorship case.
(Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
The conservatorship legal drama continued on Wednesday in court, where the “Toxic” singer, 39, scored a victory when Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny ruled that Spears would be allowed to hire her own attorney for the case after asking the court for permission to do so. Penny also approved attorney Sam Ingham’s resignation and signed off on his replacement of Spears’ choosing: Mathew Rosengart, a former federal prosecutor.
Also at the hearing, Spears said she wants to charge her dad with “conservatorship abuse.”
The singer’s statements come just weeks after she addressed the court on June 23 and expressed her desire for the conservatorship to end. She claimed she was forced to take Lithium, has been unable to remove an intrauterine device and that her dad has “loved” having control over her.
BRITNEY SPEARS WANTS TO CHARGE HER DAD WITH ‘CONSERVATORSHIP ABUSE,’ JUDGE ALLOWS HER TO HIRE PRIVATE ATTORNEY
McLean continued to Cohen that he thinks Spears’ situation is “insane.”
Singer AJ McLean said Britney Spears’ conservatorship battle ‘grinds my gears.’
( Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage)
“I think it’s … completely brutal,” he said.
The boy band member added that he’s especially in opposition to the “whole IUD situation.”
“That to me is physical abuse,” the father of two said, adding he finds it “grotesque.”
McLean does have hope for his pal from the ’90s, however. He said he believes Spears will eventually “break free of all of this.”
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The Backstreet Boys singer also called Spears a “sweetheart” and revealed that they are neighbors. He said the last time he ran into Spears it “broke my heart.”
“She goes to the same shopping center that I do. There’s this amazing cupcake shop that she goes to that I go to…It wasn’t her, like, I’m not looking at the person I knew from years and years ago,” he recalled.
Britney Spears revealed that she wants to file charges against her father, Jamie Spears, for ‘conservatorship abuse.’
(Getty Images)
McLean concluded that it’s “not fair” and sung the same tune her millions of fans around the world have in recent years: “Free Britney.”
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“She can’t do anything, like, literally she can’t do anything,” he said. “She can’t even go to go see a doctor, on her own.”
Mathew Rosengart, a former federal prosecutor, was appointed as Spears’ new attorney in the case on Wednesday.
“I’m not representing her alone,” Rosengart told the court, explaining that he’ll be assisted by “a team of attorneys at my firm” who “all have substantial probate experience.”
AJ McLean Details Britney Spears Interaction That “Broke” His Heart
After saying he is also part of a sobriety program, AJ remarked, “That is BS to me, because that’s the whole core of what we do in this program is fellowship.”
As he put it, “We lean on each other, we look up to each other for support and… if somebody were to take that from me, it would really be difficult for me to stay sober, honest to god… I just wish [that] for her, honestly.”
AJ slammed another part of Britney’s situation that he said “really irks me,” pointing to her testimony that she cannot remove her IUD to have another baby, despite her wishes to do so.
“That, to me, is physical abuse. Just the whole thing to me is just, it’s grotesque,” the Dancing With the Stars alum reflected. “I really feel in my heart that she’s going to break free of all of this, and I really hope that she does. She’s a sweetheart.”
Britney has a court hearing on July 14 to discuss changes to her legal team, her conservators’ fees and more petitions.