Aaron Carter Has Died At 34
The Hollywood Reporter and TMZ both brought us the tragic news that Aaron Carter died at his home in Lancaster, CA this morning. A rep for Aaron Carter his death in a statement to NBC News:
“We are extremely saddened and shocked to confirm the passing of Aaron Carter today. At the moment his cause of death is being investigated. We ask that you give the family time and they will have more information when available. We cannot express the outpouring of love coming in.”
Aaron was only 34.
According to TMZ, at around 11 this morning, officers responded to a 911 call that a male had drowned in the bathtub. Deputy Alejandra Parra with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that officers found a “deceased person” at the scene, but they wouldn’t give any other details. Foul play is not suspected. As anyone who regularly reads this site or any other celebrity gossip site knows, Aaron had really been in a bad place and struggling for several years.
Aaron Carter was born, along with his twin sister Angel, on December 7, 1987, in Tampa, FL. Aaron and Angel were the youngest of the Carter siblings, including their older brother, 42-year-old Nick Carter of Backstreet Boys (DUH!), and two older sisters, 40-year-old Bobbie Jean Carter and Leslie Carter, who died at 25 of an overdose in 2012. Aaron also had a half-sister, 50-year-old Virginia Marie Carter, a half-brother, 17-year-old Kaden Carter, and a stepsister named Taleyn Dobson.
When Aaron was just 9 years old, he and some of his school friends put together an alternative rock band, but it didn’t last long. Aaron left the band because he wanted to be a pop star like his older brother. And Nick gave Aaron a gigantic boost into the pop music world by letting him open for Backstreet Boys in 1997. That led to a record contract, and that led to the release of Aaron’s self-titled debut album. Aaron’s first album went Gold in Europe and Canada but didn’t get much play in the U.S. But his second album, 2000’s Aaron’s Party (Come Get It), went triple platinum in the US, and that’s because it held this millennial classic:
Aaron continued to open for the Backstreet Boys and also Britney Spears. In 2001, Aaron made his Broadway debut in the Seussical. That same year, he was in an episode of Lizzie McGuire, and that’s where he met Hilary Duff. The two were the tween IT couple of Hollywood for a bit.
After Aaron’s third album came out, Aaron’s parents, Robert and Elizabeth Carter, sued his then-manager, Lou Perlman, for not paying him hundreds of thousands of dollars in royalties for his first album. They settled out of court. In 2016, Lou died in prison, where he was serving 25 years for running a massive Ponzi scheme. And on top of being a horrible scam king, Lou was also accused of being a pedophile who sexually harassed members of the groups he managed. Some of the allegations were covered in the 2019 documentary The Boy Band Con, produced by Lance Bass. Aaron was interviewed for the documentary, and to Lance Bass’ surprise, he defended Lou and said the child molestation allegations weren’t true.
In 2016, Aaron and his siblings starred in the E! reality show The House of Carters. Three years later, he was part of the cast of Dancing with the Stars. And in 2011, he joined the cast of off-Broadway’s The Fantasticks.
Like many child stars, Aaron struggled with mental health issues and addiction for years. He was arrested for at least two DUIs. Just a few days ago, cops pulled over his RV after they suspected he was driving under the influence, but they later determined he wasn’t and let him go. When Aaron was on The Doctors in 2019, he said he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and acute anxiety, and was under a cocktail of medications. Around that same time, Aaron’s relationship with his siblings, which wasn’t great to begin with, got even worse. Nick and Angel filed a restraining order against Aaron, claiming that Aaron had threatened Nick’s then-pregnant wife. Aaron also made abuse allegations against his late sister Leslie and Nick.
A year ago, Aaron became a father when his fiancee at the time, Melanie Martin, gave birth to a son they named Prince Lyric Carter. Aaron and Melanie ended up losing custody of their son due to domestic violence and alleged drug use. Melanie’s mom reportedly has custody of their son. Two months ago, Aaron checked into outpatient rehab to try to get custody of his son back.
Rest in peace, Aaron Carter.
@aaroncarterofficial Enjoying this serenity and solice with just the wind and my piano !! #aaroncarter
Pic: Vince Flores/startraksphoto.com