Aaron was found dead at his home in Lancaster, California on Saturday. He was 34.
Nick Carter is speaking out following the death of his younger brother, Aaron Carter. The 42-year-old Backstreet Boys singer took to Instagram Sunday to pay tribute to Aaron following news that he died Saturday morning. He was 34.
"My heart is broken. Even though my brother and I have had a complicated relationship, my love for him has never ever faded. I have always held on to the hope that he would somehow, someday want to walk a healthy path and eventually find the help that he so desperately needed," Nick began, sharing a slideshow of photos of him and Aaron throughout the years.
He continued, "Sometimes we want to blame someone or something for a loss, but the truth is that addiction and mental illness is the real villain here. I will miss my brother more than anyone will ever know. I love you Chizz. Now you can finally have the peace you could never find here on earth….I love you baby brother."
Nick's post was met with plenty of love in the comments, with Spice Girls star Emma Lee Bunton writing, "I'm Heartbroken for you and your family. Sending so much love. 💔," and Even Stevens actress Christy Carlson Romano commenting, "This is devastating to see. Prayers for you and your family Nick."
During the Backstreet Boys' London concert Sunday, the band paid tribute to Aaron.
"Tonight we got a little bit of heavy hearts because we lost one of our family members yesterday,” Kevin Richardson said. “We just wanted to find a moment in our show to recognize that Nick’s little brother, Aaron Carter, passed away yesterday at 34 years old. He was a part of our family and we thank you guys for all the love and all the well wishes and all the support.”
Aaron was found dead Saturday at his home in Lancaster, California, about an hour north of Los Angeles where multiple L.A. County Sheriff's vehicles were seen surrounding the home. TMZ reports a 911 call was made Saturday morning and responding authorities found Aaron's body in his bathtub. The cause of death has not been confirmed.
Following the news, Aaron's manager, Taylor Helgeson, confirmed his death to ET and shared that Aaron's family would be releasing their own statement.
The last several years proved to be a trying time for both Aaron and his family, with the singer going public about being diagnosed with multiple personality disorder, schizophrenia, acute anxiety and manic depression in September 2019. Due to his mental health struggles, Aaron went on to cancel several multiple tour dates. Weeks after the mental health reveal, Nick obtained a restraining order against him, which led to a bitter war of words between the siblings.
Aaron subsequently announced that he was officially "done" with his estranged brother. "Take care. @nickcarter we’re done for life. I haven’t seen him in four years. And I don’t intend," he tweeted at the time.
The embattled singer later accused his late sister, Leslie, of raping him as a child. Aaron's twin sister Angel was reportedly granted a restraining order against him as well.
The 34-year-old pop star also suffered difficulties in his relationship with ex, Melanie Martin. The pair welcomed a baby boy named Prince less than a year ago but split just one week after Melanie gave birth. She eventually requested a restraining order of her own against Aaron, after an alleged physical altercation.
Melanie seemingly reacted to the news in her own post Saturday, sharing a 2-second video on TikTok in which she's seen behind the wheel of a car crying hysterically. She didn't caption the video, but fans were quick to offer their condolences.
One fan wrote, "I am so so sorry 🥺 Please remember you have the biggest part of him then anyone does and that is Prince." Another fan wrote, "Stay strong for your baby, lead prince down a better road. So many blessings your way."
Aaron is survived by the couple's 10-month-old son, mother, Jane, and siblings, Nick, Angel and B.J.
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