Singer and rapper Aaron Carter, brother of famed pop icon and Backstreet Boys singer Nick Carter has died aged 34. He was found dead in his bathtub' at his Lancaster home in California on Saturday, TMZ reported. Authorities said that they received a 911 call at 11 a.m. on Saturday, saying "a male had drowned in the tub."
A home sitter got in touch with the police after discovering him dead, the sheriff's office said. It was later confirmed that the person found dead in the bathtub was Aaron Carter. "Aaron has passed," Lori Graf, manager of Aaron's older brother, Nick Carter, later confirmed the news via an email.
Shocking Death
Carter's death remains a mystery as of now as the exact cause of death has not been revealed yet by representatives or the police. A representative for the Los Angeles sheriff's office confirmed that when deputies arrived at Carter's home at 10:58 a.m. local time, they discovered a deceased person. No specific cause of death has been disclosed at that time.
As of now, there is no evidence of foul play. Emergency services have been spotted outside Carter's Lancaster home, which has been cordoned off with police tape.
It is with great regret to confirm Aaron Carter was found unresponsive this a.m. in his home in Palmdale, CA," Carter's rep told Page Six on Saturday.
"The family has been notified and will be flying out to Los Angeles. Aaron worked very hard towards the end of his life in recovery, to be a good father and to make amends with his family."
Later on Saturday, a coroner was seen removing Carter's remains from the house.
"Right now it's a really bad time, we're trying to figure out what happened and what the cause of it was," his representatives said.
"We're just as upset as everyone and hope that fans can give thoughts and prayers to his family."
Singer and 'One Tree Hill' alum Tyler Hilton tweeted that he was heartbroken about the news. "This kid had such a spark," Hilton wrote. "Known him for years and always really liked him, he was warm and really funny. Loved putting on a show and he was good at it."
It is still not known if Carter was a victim of drug overdose as he has battled addiction for many years.
Gone too Soon
Carter, who was born on December 7, 1987, in Tampa, Florida, made his professional debut in 1997 as the Backstreet Boys' opening act. Later that year, when he was only 9 years old, his debut album, Aaron Carter, was released and soon achieved gold status, selling over a million copies.
He later went on to open for Britney Spears. With mainstream successes like "I'm All About You," "I Want Candy," and "Aaron's Party (Come Get It)," he became a household name in the late 1990s.
The pre-teen cutie was a Nickelodeon regular and a Disney Channel guest star.
As he grew older, Carter transitioned into rap, and also appeared in Broadway musicals and on the US TV show Dancing With The Stars.
At the height of his stardom in the early 2000s, Carter was entangled in the famed love triangle including teen idols Lindsay Lohan and Hilary Duff. He made a notable cameo as himself and gave the lead character her first kiss on Duff's well-known Disney show "Lizzie McGuire,"
Before he moved on to Lohan, the two dated for around two years. He seemed to alternate between the two women for a while, creating headlines and appearing on the red carpet with each. Long after they both ended their relationships with Carter, the two women continued to feud for years.
According to E!, the 34-year-old notably battled addiction for many years, had legal issues, entered rehab, and continued to pursue a career in music. He struggled with several things and also declared bankruptcy in 2013 due to massive debt, a large portion of which was tax-related.
He also engaged in a number of public feuds, including one with his brother Nick, whom he accused of attempting to place him under a conservatorship much like the one that was applied for Brittney Spears.
Additionally, Carter had numerous encounters with law enforcement for drug possession and dangerous driving. In July 2017, Carter was arrested on suspicion of DUI and marijuana possession, while traveling in a car with his then-girlfriend Madison Parker in Georgia.
Last year, a judge dismissed the case, but Carter was sentenced to a year of probation, 40 hours of community service, attendance at DUI risk-reduction seminars, and a drug and alcohol examination.
According to CNN, Carter disclosed on "The Doctors" in 2019 that he was diagnosed with "multiple personality disorder, schizophrenia, severe anxiety, and manic depression."
Carter is survived by his son Prince. Just minutes after the news was announced, Melanie Martin, Prince's mother and Carter's on-again, off-again girlfriend, posted a tearful video to TikTok. Martin can be seen sobbing into the camera as he drives in the brief footage.
