In July 2001, four of the five members of the Backstreet Boys appeared on "TRL" to make the announcement that their fifth member, A.J. McLean, would soon be entering a rehab facility. It was a pivotal moment in the band's history and it was a shocking moment for fans of the chart-topping pop group. While A.J., who just confirmed he has entered rehab for a third time, had always been the group's resident bad boy, the news came as quite a surprise.
In a 2008 interview with MTV News' John Norris, A.J. reflected on the band's decision to make such a public announcement of a rather private decision.
"I was definitely happy with that decision. We had talked about how we were going to approach the situation and I kind of left it up to the other four guys because I was in such a turmoil in my head. I was trying to get my mind right and prepare myself to go on this life changing experience," he told recalled in the interview when he sat down with the band to discuss the impending "TRL" finale that year. "I think the reason why we all picked to go on 'TRL' is because that was kind of our hub, our home. What better way to reach our fans, it was kind of what better place to talk to people and be that open and be that honest [about it]."
In the chat, A.J. noted that he had never seen the episode since it was just too painful to watch. "We all sat down and we talked about [it]," he said. "I, to this day, have not watched that episode. It's just too hard. I've seen bits and pieces and then every time I see Kevin cry, I've got to stop."
[Posted 1/13/11 5:00 pm ET by Jocelyn Vena in Music on newsroom.mtv]
