Who is Brian Littrell’s wife, and how did they meet? Age difference, kids, all we know

Backstreet Boys member Brian Littrell is beaming with pride as his son, Baylee Littrell, made his debut on American Idol Season 23. He auditioned with an original track and sang a duet with his dad on the premiere on March 9, 2025.

During the auditions, the judges Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan were taken by surprise when he mentioned that his father was a member of the '90s boy band. The I Want It That Way singer shared the news on his Instagram, praising his son, he wrote:

“Congrats @bayleelittrell_music on an incredible premiere with @americanidol. I am so proud of you Bubba - can’t wait to see you in #Hollywood!! #GoldenTicket #BayleeLittrell #BayleeOnIdol”

Baylee was accompanied by his parents on the show, Brian Littrell and his wife, Leighanne. The couple met on the set of the Backstreet Boys' 1997 single, As Long As You Love Me, according to People magazine. She was an actress and a model at that time. Here’s what we know about their journey as husband and wife.

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Exploring the relationship between Brian and Leighanne Littrell

Brian Littrell and Leighanne Littrell have been going strong since they met in 1997. On their 20th wedding anniversary celebration, they recalled the time in an exclusive interview with ET. Litrell recalled,

"We ran into each other at that perfect time. 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."

Brian revealed that Leighanne actually turned him down when he asked her out for a drink on the night they met.

"She shot me down, and then she goes, 'I am free for tomorrow night,' and I said, 'Well, I did not ask you for tomorrow night, I asked you for tonight,'"he said.

The two eventually started dating and tied the knot in 2000 at Peachtree Christian Church in Atlanta.

During an interview on their 20th anniversary with People Magazine in 2020, the singer told how their relationship has faced its ups and downs, but they have managed to keep the spark alive despite their age difference.

"Nothing is ever peachy keen and perfect all the time, but being able to grow together instead of growing apart is the big thing."

The couple reportedly share a six-year age difference, as Brian was 45 that time and his wife, 51.

According to South China Morning Post, Baylee is the only child of Brian and Leighanne Littrell, who was born on November 26, 2002, in Atlanta, Georgia. He decided to follow his father’s footsteps and eventually made his Broadway debut in the musical Disaster! when he was just 13.

In 2019, he reportedly released his debut album 770-Country. During his interview on American Idol, the 22-year-old talks about how he is following in his dad’s footsteps. He went on to say,

"Following in my dad’s footsteps is scary because his career, to me, is one of the most extraordinary in music history. No one can ever compare.

He shares an incident from his childhood when he was just 8 or 9 years old and was opening for his dad. He said he got mesmerized by the audience.

With his American Idol debut, Brian Littrell’s son has proved that musical passion runs deep in their family. The moment evokes a sense of nostalgia from his fans, who are having higher expectations from Baylee.

Will he be able to do justice to his father's legacy? Well, time will tell.