AJ McLean's daughter changed her name to Elliot but it was "not a gender thing."
Rochelle McLean on allowing her daughter Ava to change her name to Elliot
The Backstreet Boys star has been married to makeup artist Rochelle Karidis since 2011 and has daughters Ava Jaymes, nine, and five-year-old Lyric Dean with her and while his eldest has changed her name to Elliot, his wife has insisted that the new moniker is not related to gender.
Rochelle wrote 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 Ava’s.)"(sic)
Rochelle went on to explain that she "didn't see the harm" in allowing her daughter to be "unique" and claimed that it is an "odd" concept that parents choose their children's names but knew that people would have opinions about the change.
She added: "I didn’t really see the harm in respecting her desire to be unique. Come to think of it, it’s a little odd that as parents we choose names for people we haven’t even met yet and expect them to forever [identify] as that person! Anyway...that's how Ava became Elliot.
"I knew once I put it out there people would have opinions, but be kind. She’s just a kid trying to make her way in this crazy world! I just want her to know she can always be whoever she wants to be."
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