Entertainment
Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean supports daughter, 9, ‘a million percent’ in changing name from Ava to Elliott-Kim Novak-Entertainment – Metro
‘Whatever journey both my girls have, I will be in their corner a million percent.’
AJ McLean vowed to support his daughters no matter what (Picture: @aj_mclean)
AJ McLean has opened up about his nine-year-old daughter’s decision to change her name from Ava to Elliott and his unwavering support for her making her own decision.
The Backstreet Boys star, 44, revealed he and his wife Rochelle are fully supportive of his daughter but that the name change is not because she is transgender but rather that it is her ‘personal choice’ to go by Elliott.
He explained to People: ‘When my daughter asked to change her name to Elliott, initially, I didn’t know if it was a transgender thing, which it is not, but it is a personal choice.
‘And it is her body, it’s her name, it’s her everything. And she’s still Ava. She’ll always be Ava to me.
‘But at the same time, whatever reasoning it is, that’s hers, and I’m going to support it a million percent, my wife will [too].’
AJ revealed that his nine-year-old hadn’t been happy going by Ava because it is ‘not that unique and not that original’, and she had met several girls with the same name at her school and dance classes.
AJ’s eldest daughter didn’t think Ava was a unique name (Picture: Instagram/@aj_mclean)
He added: ‘She just finished watching Pete’s Dragon, and she loved the name Elliot, but with two Ts. Now it just rolls off the tongue. Now she’s Elliott.’
As well as Elliott, AJ and Rochelle have another daughter, Lyric, five, and have vowed to support them in whatever decisions they make in their lives.
He added: ‘Whatever journey both my girls have, I will be in their corner a million per cent, my wife will be in their corner and support them, whatever their path is and whatever their journey is. That’s just the family that we are.’
Rochelle previously opened up about Elliott’s name change, telling her followers on Instagram: ‘For those asking … not that it’s anyone’s business but Elliott’s name change is not a gender thing.
‘’Ava’ has changed her name quite a few times since she was about five. Last year she asked us to start calling her Elliot and it stuck. She wanted something unique that no one else had. (There are so many Avas.)’
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