AJ McLean's Estranged Wife Says 'Listen To Your Body' In Shocking Health Update

AJ McLean's estranged wife, Rochelle DeAnna McLean, recently underwent a rare surgery.

The media personality, best known for her relationship with the Backstreet Boys singer, broke the news in a social media post. Surprisingly, it had some fans begging for a romantic reunion between the McLeans.

AJ McLean and his estranged wife announced their separation in March 2023, claiming it was a temporary situation. However, they shifted their tune a year later with official plans to separate, but that may no longer be in the works.

Rochelle updated her Instagram page on Friday, January 23, with a selfie from the hospital. The shot captured her makeup-free with her hair in a messy bun while she flashed a thumbs-up sign at the camera from her hospital bed.

The media personality explained in the post's caption that she had experienced "one hell of a week," starting from a visit to the ER on Tuesday because of "an extremely bloated belly." The bloating was accompanied by pain on the right side of her abdomen, which she suspected was linked to her appendix.

Contrary to her suspicions, Rochelle's bloating and pain stemmed from a rare health issue, cecal volvulus or a twisted, pinched colon. "I basically went straight into surgery after that to have the compromised part of my colon removed and the healthy sections sewn back together again," she explained.

Rochelle confessed that she had never heard of someone experiencing the same issue with their colon and implored fans to pay closer attention to their health. "All I can say is listen to your body when something doesn't feel right," she wrote.

The Backstreet Boys singer's estranged wife added that she believed her story could have gone badly if she had ignored her symptoms and doubled down on fans taking better care of themselves. She also thanked the doctors and nurses for their support during her stay.

Rochelle signed off, hoping she would get released soon, and later confirmed on Saturday, January 24, that she had returned home. She shared the update on her Instagram Story, thanking fans for their love and well-wishes while assuring them that she was recovering in her own bed.

Following Rochelle's health update, the comments were flooded with concerned fans and well-wishers, including her estranged husband. AJ reacted to the news with a heartwarming comment that read:

"Me and the girls have been worried but praying for you to come home and so happy it's finally here. I love you, and I'm glad you went with your gut heehee to go to the hospital!"

The singer's words sparked a wave of reunion requests, with someone asking him to take care of Rochelle and their two daughters. "Stay home, that's where you belong," the fan added. Another supporter agreed, declaring, "AJ, you and her should get remarried, you and her should make it work."

The pleas for AJ and Rochelle's reconciliation came years after their separation. The Blast covered the story in March 2023, reporting that the once-beloved couple had announced their breakup in a joint statement.

AJ and Rochelle explained that they were temporarily separating and planned to work on themselves so they could reunite at a later date. The former couple implored fans to respect their privacy and reminded them to be considerate of their words for their children's sake.

A week after the separation announcement, AJ revealed he had been hospitalized due to a hernia. The Blast shared that he underwent surgery, keeping fans in the loop before and after the operation on his Instagram feed. A year later, he and Rochelle announced an official breakup.

Like their temporary separation announcement, AJ and Rochelle penned a joint statement in January 2024 to confirm the official end of their marriage after 12 years. They noted that they had hoped to reconcile but failed and chose a permanent separation.

"Our focus now is moving forward in the healthiest way possible with friendship and co-parenting our girls at the forefront of this next chapter," their statement read. Despite these claims of an official end to their marriage, neither AJ nor Rochelle filed for divorce.

They appeared to have changed their minds and might be working on a reconciliation behind closed doors. While speaking to US Weekly in 2025, AJ said he and Rochelle were working on figuring out their next steps. "But we are definitely moving unanimously in the right direction," the singer added.