Overcoming obstacles. AJ McLean achieved fame as a member of the Backstreet Boys, but a fair share of challenges have come along with his worldwide success.

In 1992, the “Larger than Life” performer auditioned for the boyband and became the first official member of BSB. He was later joined by Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Kevin Richardson and Brian Littrell. Following their formation, the musical group rose to fame throughout the 90s and early 2000s.

Despite the success, McLean has battled his own personal demons from the age of 22. During an October 2020 interview with Good Morning America, the “Shape Of My Heart” crooner confessed he tried cocaine for the first time while on the set of BSB’s music video for “The Call.”

“The first time I tried drugs was literally an hour before my call time to ‘The Call’ video shoot,” he recalled to GMA‘s Will Reeve. “I was off the walls.”

McLean’s bandmates noticed a change in his behavior when he started to skip rehearsals and they intervened.

“They basically broke into my house, and they dumped ice water on me while I was passed out in my bed,” McLean told GMA at the time. “Everybody started to catch on. I wasn’t me anymore, you know. I was just living a lie.”

Throughout his decades-long battle, McLean has gone to rehab on multiple occasions and he has admitted to overdosing twice. While competing on Dancing With the Stars in 2020, the “Everybody” artist credited his then-wife, Rochelle McLean, for staying by his side through his darkest times. (AJ and Rochelle tied the knot in 2011 but separated in March 2023. The twosome share two daughters, Elliott and Lyric, who were born in 2012 and 2017, respectively.)

“My wife means everything to me as does the fact that she’s been here still, to this day, with me after all the bad things I’ve done in my life that have hurt people — especially her,” he wrote in an exclusive blog post for Us Weekly at the time. “She’s always seen the good in me and seen past — as hard as it may be to see past — all the bad stuff I did when I was drinking and using drugs. But things are the best they’ve ever been today, and I couldn’t ask for anything else.”

A few months later, AJ celebrated his first anniversary of being substance-free.

“I’m gonna be one-year sober tomorrow, which is insane,” the “Quit Playing Games” artist said on a December 2020 episode of his “Pretty Messed Up” podcast. “As long as I’m keeping my side of the street clean, I can’t worry about keeping your side of the street clean. And everything actually worked itself out. I feel much better.”

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Keep scrolling to see AJ’s ups and downs over the years:

Getting to know his inner circle! Selena Gomez was spotted grabbing dinner with Zayn Malik’s personal assistant, Taryn Zimmerman, just days before she and the former One Direction singer sparked romance rumors. 

The Only Murders in the Building star, 30, and Zimmerman were seen leaving Nobu in New York City on March 21. Gomez looked Manhattan chic for the night out, donning dark gray slacks and a matching top. She paired the look with platform boots, an oversized black jacket and scarf. Zimmerman, meanwhile, rocked a tan coat over her own dark ensemble and accessorized with a mini Adidas clutch and sandals. Her locks were pulled back into pigtail braids. 

The two dined at the celeb hotspot just two days before the Wizards of Waverly Place alum and “Pillowtalk” singer, 30, were spotted holding hands and sharing a smooch in NYC’s SoHo neighborhood on Thursday, March 23.

Neither Gomez nor Malik have publicly commented on the romance rumors, but a source exclusively told Us Weekly earlier this week that the England native has known the “Lose You to Love Me” songstress “for years” and is “definitely into her.” 

“He’s always admired her and thinks she’s an incredible person, inside and out,” the insider shared, noting that the duo aren’t “super serious” or exclusive at this point. “She’s free to see other people. However, Zayn would love to continue to see Selena and see where things go,” the source explained. 

While Gomez was most recently linked to Chainsmokers’ Drew Taggart, Malik hasn’t publicly dated anyone since his October 2021 split from Gigi Hadid. The musician and the supermodel, 27, were on and off for six years and share 2-year-old daughter Khai. 

“He’s been focused on himself these past few years and feels like he’s ready to date again,” the insider shared with Us of Malik. “He’s feeling optimistic about the possibility of things growing between him and Selena but isn’t putting any pressure on the situation. He’d rather just let things progress organically and believes she feels the same.”

When it comes to how Hadid feels about her ex moving on — possibly with the former Disney star — a second source told Us earlier this month that she would have “no problem whatsoever” with Malik dating. 

“As long as he is happy and stable and continues to be a good coparent to [their daughter] Khai, she’s fine with whoever he goes out with,” the insider said, adding that Hadid herself is “moving on” and “having fun” when it comes to her romantic life.

The Guest in Residence founder, for her part, has been linked to Leonardo DiCaprio since September 2022 when they were spotted hanging out during New York Fashion Week. Though the pair went their separate ways after a handful of months, reconciliation rumors began in February after they were seen hanging out together multiple times since the split. 

Gwyneth Paltrow’s ski accident trial has been making headlines for much more than just the 2016 incident at the center of the case.

The Goop founder and retired doctor Terry Sanderson are on trial due to a 2016 skiing accident in Deer Valley, Utah. Per his 2019 lawsuit against the Contagion star, Sanderson claimed that Paltrow crashed into him on the slopes, which caused him multiple severe injuries. He further alleged that the accident was a hit and run and Paltrow fled the scene.

“Gwyneth Paltrow skied out of control and hit the back of Terry Sanderson, another skier, who was downhill, knocking him down hard, knocking him out, and causing a brain injury, four broken ribs and other serious injuries,” read court documents obtained by Us Weekly at the time. “Paltrow got up, turned and skied away, leaving Sanderson stunned, lying in the snow, seriously injured.”

The Oscar winner, for her part, has not only vehemently denied his allegations but also claimed he was the one who ran into her.

“This lawsuit is completely without merit, and we expect to be vindicated,” Paltrow said in a statement to Us in January 2019. One month later, she filed the countersuit and requested a symbolic $1 in damages.

In court documents obtained by Us at the time, the MCU star’s legal team claimed that “[Paltrow] was enjoying skiing with her family on vacation in Utah, when Plaintiff — who was uphill from Ms. Paltrow — plowed into her back. She sustained a full ‘body blow.’”

The documents continued: “Ms. Paltrow was angry with Plaintiff, and said so. Plaintiff apologized. She was shaken and upset, and quit skiing for the day even though it was still morning.”

The paperwork also noted that Paltrow and her ski instructor “remained on [the] scene” and “rendered aid” to Sanderson.

Paltrow and Sanderson have since taken the stand in the trial, which began on March 21 in Utah.

The Royal Tenenbaums star has been asked a serious of eyebrow-raising questions from the retired optometrist’s attorney Kristin VanOrman. In one line of questioning, the lawyer inquired about Paltrow’s friendship with Taylor Swift, who memorably sued a DJ for $1 in 2017, four years after he allegedly groped her.

“I think I said [when you first asked me] that I had not been familiar with [the 2017 trial] but I since am,” the Shakespeare in Love actress said in response to VanOrman’s question about her friendship with the “Shake It Off” singer. “I would not say we are good friends, we are friendly; I’ve taken my kids to one of her concerts before, but we don’t talk very often.”

In another headline-making moment, VanOrman asked Paltrow her height and remarked how “jealous” she was about the Iron Man star’s tall stature. She also commented on Paltrow’s body, calling her “small” before walking back her statement. “You’re small but mighty,” the attorney remarked, before clarifying, “Actually, you’re not that small.”

Paltrow’s lawyer Stephen Owens has also been under fire for his questions, apologizing after he asked Sanderson’s daughter Polly Sanderson Grasham if her sister, Jenny — who claimed that their dad was abusive — was a liar.

“I need to apologize, I was being an ass earlier,” the attorney told Grasham. “It was wrong for me to triangulate you, your dad, your sister, and your mom. I ask for your forgiveness.”

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Keep scrolling to see the wildest moments in the trial: