The Backstreet Boys were one of the world's biggest boy bands. Here's what their lives look like now.

Content warning: This story includes descriptions of alleged sexual assault that may be distressing to some readers.

The Backstreet Boys were one of the most popular boy bands worldwide — and one of the most successful too. 

They started making music back in 1993, meaning they are celebrating their 30-year anniversary this year.

With Vegas residences, over 100 million records worldwide, and a new world tour, the Backstreet Boys have continued performing. But it's not just their music that has been making headlines in recent years.

From their personal lives, one member's struggles with addiction, and another facing a series of very serious allegations, here's what the lives of the Backstreet Boys look like now.

Watch: A look back at the classic music video for 'Everybody'. Post continues below.

AJ McLean now.

For AJ McLean, much of his life in the spotlight has either been about his role as a Backstreet Boys member, or his challenges with drug and alcohol addiction. 

McLean said his addiction began back in 2000, when he and his bandmates were on set filming the music video for 'The Call'. There, he said someone offered him a line of cocaine, and from there it led to an ongoing addiction.

In 2001, bandmate Kevin Richardson staged an intervention, which McLean said infuriated him. But it also opened his eyes.

"There was a lot flaking on the guys, not showing up for rehearsals," he said to Oprah in 2003. 

His bandmates then surprised him on The Oprah Winfrey Show and joined him as a sign of solidarity. McLean has said it's taken several rehab stints for him to stay sober, and this year celebrates a year and a half of sobriety. 

In 2006, McLean met his soon-to-be wife in Rochelle, the pair marrying in 2011 and welcoming daughters Elliott and Lyric in 2012 and 2017.

Then in March 2023, the couple confirmed they were "temporarily" separating. 

"The plan is to come back together and continue to nurture our love for one another and our family," they said. "We ask for respect and privacy at this time. Separation is hard enough without the commentary, please be kind and remember there are children involved."

In recent years, McLean has been a big advocate for a series of social issues, including access to abortion in America, and also calling out the Tennessee ban on drag queens. 

Late last year, he dressed up in drag on RuPaul's Celebrity Drag Race, and he was crowned the Next Celebrity Superstar (aka winning the show), for his performance as Poppy Love.

AJ McLean in drag as Poppy Love, McLean bringing his daughters on stage with him at a 2022 concert, and McLean today. Image: Instagram.

Howie Dorough now.

Aside from Backstreet Boys, Howie Dorough has gone on to produce quite a lot of music, including some of his own solo albums.

Dorough also founded a company called Sweet D, Inc. with his older brother. The company specialises in real estate development and has built numerous condominiums, hotels, and waterfront properties. He's also founded and held the positions of CEO, chairman, and director in several other companies. 

In 2000, Dorough met film executive producer Leigh Anne Boniello. They were married in 2007, and they have two sons together — James born in 2009 and Holden in 2013. James has a Youtube channel as well, called "James the Great". 

In 2017, his bandmate McClean opened up about something else that went down behind the scene of making the song 'The Call'. And it involved Dorough.

"So when we were in the studio with Max [the music producer] making the song 'The Call,' Howie [Dorough] was in the booth and we were doing that vocal break down, [sings] 'dun dun dun, dun dun dun dun.' Max gave Howie his harmony, and I think he was just putting so much air into the vocal that as he was singing, he went 'dun, dun' and he farted," McClean said to Billboard.

"He farted not only on the beat, but in key. So Max tweaked it and made it sound like one of his patented bass sounds, and it stayed on the record."

Ever since, Dorough's name has become synonymous with a fart story.

Howie Dorough and his family. Image: Instagram.

Kevin Richardson now.

Richardson was seen as 'the big brother' of the boy band given he was a bit older than the rest of the members. In 2006, he announced he would be stepping away from the group to pursue other projects and to start a family and "move on with the next chapter of [his] life".

He opened a music academy called The Music Workshop in Louisville, Kentucky. The academy opened to help others learn the 'tricks of the trade' of the music industry – studio technology, songwriting, and contract negotiations.

Over the years, he did an odd appearance or two with the group, before officially rejoining in recent years as part of their reunion world tour.

In 2016, Richardson released an independent film called If I Could Tell You. It was a short movie about infertility where he also talked about his own family's struggles.

Recently, Richardson celebrated his anniversary with his wife Kristin. The pair have two children together — Mason born in 2007, and Maxwell in 2013.

"Me and Kristin had our firstborn, Mason, with no issues at all. Then when we tried for our second, it just wasn’t happening. Even though you have doctors, acupuncturists, hypnotists, nutritionists, family, you just feel like you're by yourself," he said to Entertainment Tonight.

"My kids are my pride and joy."

Kevin Richardson with his wife Kristin. Image: Instagram.

Brian Littrell now.

Aside from Backstreet Boys music, Littrell went on to create and produce a number of Christian pop songs influenced by his faith.

He's also done a number of charity gigs. Littrell was born with a congenital heart condition, which has impacted his health throughout his life. He would later establish Brian Littrell's "Healthy Heart Club" for kids, a non-profit organisation that assists children with heart conditions through medical, financial, and practical help.

Brian met his wife Leighanne Reena Wallace in 1997 on the set of the Backstreet Boys' music video for 'As Long As You Love Me'. In 2000, they married.

"We ran into each other at that perfect time," Brian told Entertainment Tonight of his wife. "Neither one of us were looking for love. We didn't really need it at that time, we were focused on our careers and that's just kind of how life happens. It is a blessing that we were opened to this joint venture."

In 2002, they welcomed a son Baylee together. Baylee has since gone on to pursue a career in country music.

Recently Baylee turned 20. Littrell wrote a post on Instagram dedicated to his son, writing: "I can't believe it… what a man you are, you've taught me so much in life, I can't thank you enough for being the person that you are. You will forever be my baby boy."

Brian Littrell with his wife and son. Image: Instagram.

Nick Carter now.

In 2014, Nick Carter married fitness trainer Lauren Kitt after six years of dating. The pair went on to welcome son Odin in 2016 and daughters Saoirse and Pearl in 2019 and 2021, respectively.

In November 2022, Carter said his "heart is broken" over the death of his brother Aaron Carter. 

"Even though my brother and I have had a complicated relationship, my love for him has never ever faded," he said in a statement. "I have always held on to the hope that he would somehow, someday want to walk a healthy path and eventually find the help that he so desperately needed."

At the time, the Backstreet Boys were performing a series of concerts. Carter continued to perform, and the band held a tribute for Carter's late brother on stage. 

In recent years though, Carter has been facing a series of sexual assault allegations.

He is currently being sued for sexual battery following an alleged incident in 2001.

According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, Shannon Ruth, then 17, claims the singer, then 21, invited her onto the band's tour bus after a concert on their Black & Blue world tour and sexually assaulted her.

The documents state that Carter asked Ruth, who has autism and cerebral palsy, if she wanted a drink. When she asked for apple juice, the singer said they only had cranberry juice and offered that to her.

Nick Carter then with his brother Aaron Carter, and Nick today. Image: Getty.

Ruth now believes it contained alcohol. She alleges the sexual assault then occurred.

This isn't the first sexual assault allegation against Nick Carter. 

In 2017, Melissa Schuman, a former member of the early 2000s girl band DREAM, alleged the singer performed oral sex on her without her consent, forced her to masturbate him and raped her.

He was 22; she was 18. Prosecutors said they would not pursue sexual assault charges against Carter with this allegation in mind, because the statute of limitations had expired. Carter also denied the incident was non-consensual.

In April 2023, Carter then counter-sued the two women at the centre of the allegations.

Before Aaron Carter passed away, he too made accusations against his brother. The Backstreet Boy took an AVO out on his younger brother prior to Aaron's death, after which Aaron made strong claims against his sibling.

"I have never been accused of rape multiple times. I wasn't accused of beating Paris Hilton. Who's VIOLENT?" Aaron tweeted. He later called his older brother a "serial rapist" in an interview just before his death.

Carter has denied physically abusing Paris Hilton during their seven-month relationship in the late 2000s.

As for his Backstreet Boys band members, they have mostly remained quiet on the matter, and continued performing together as a group.

The Backstreet Boys in 2022. Image: Getty.

Reflecting on touring and recording together recently, Littrell said: "It's not easy to be a group, together, for this long. It's not easy to be successful this long either. So it's always been important for us to bond and making that connection through music." 

As Richardson noted in the same interview, their goal as a group was always to have a long-running career in music. And to have achieved that he said, means a lot.

"We've always just tried to create great work and be proud of what we do."

If this has raised any issues for you, or if you just feel like you need to speak to someone, please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service. 

Feature Image: Getty.

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