They are not back together, alright. AJ McLean and his wife Rochelle Deanna Karidis announced they are getting a divorce nine months after revealing their separation. “As you all know we have been separated for over a year now,” the Backstreet Boys star wrote on Instagram Jan. 1. “While we have hoped for reconciliation we have decided to officially end our marriage.” The couple-who tied the knot in December 2011 at the Beverly Hills Hotel-are focusing on amicably raising their kids Elliott, 11, and Lyric, 6, in the wake of the breakup. “It is with deep love and respect that we have made this decision,” AJ continued in the post, also shared on Rochelle’s page. “Our focus now is moving forward in the healthiest possible way with friendship and coparenting our girls at the forefront of this next chapter. We appreciate your kindness respect and privacy at this time.” AJ and Rochelle shared in March 2023 that they were facing challenges in their relationship. “Marriage is hard, but worth it,” the pair told E! News in a statement at the time. “We have mutually decided to separate temporarily to work on ourselves and on our marriage with the hope of building a stronger future.” However, the singer and hairstylist were optimistic they could rekindle their spark in the future. “The plan is to come back together,” they added, “and continue to nurture our love for one another and our family.” Since then, AJ has been learning how to reprioritize and compartmentalize parts of his life. In fact, the 45-year-old told E! News in August that he actively tries “turning off AJ and letting him live in the world of Backstreet” when he’s not performing. “The biggest thing for me is knowing that AJ is a persona,” he explained. “AJ is my job, but Alex is who I am.” AJ revealed that he’s become “much happier” since learning how to manage his work-life balance, adding, “When AJ’s done doing work, I’m Alex. I’m a husband, I’m a father, I’m a friend.” As for Rochelle, she’s taking a page from Taylor Swift’s playbook these days, saying in her Instagram bio, “best believe I’m still bejewelled.”