17 January 2021 Share with: Backstreet Boys star AJ McLean is determined to soldier on in his sobriety journey for the sake of his family, despite recognising his weakness as a "chronic relapser". The pop star, who has been open about his substance abuse battle in the past, celebrated one year sober in December and admitted it's always been a struggle for him to stay on the right path. "I can do short bursts (of sobriety) and I'm OK," McClean told the Recovering from Reality podcast. "Because even when I would relapse, I wouldn't go on a bender," he went on. "I am a chronic relapser, but I've never gone for like a month straight of just drinking and partying. It's been like one night and then I'm sober for a week or two. And then it's one night. It was always back and forth," McClean explained.