singer Aaron Carterwho started performed as a child and had hit albums starting in his teens, was found dead on Saturday at his home in Southern California. He was 34 years old.
Representatives for Carter’s family confirmed the singer’s death to The Associated Press. He did not immediately provide any further comment.
Carter, younger brother of Nick Carter of Backstreet Boys, performed as an opening act for Britney Spears as well as her brother’s boy band, and appeared in the family reality series “House of Carters”, which aired on E! entertainment television. In 2009, she competed in season 9 of “Dancing with the Stars”, finishing fifth with her professional partner Karina Smirnoff.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy Alejandra Parra said the deputy responded around 11 a.m. after a medical emergency was reported at the home in Lancaster.
Parra said the deputy found a dead man at the residence, but she could not immediately confirm it was Carter.
Carter’s fiancée, Melanie Martin, the mother of their young son, sought privacy as the family was unhappy.
“We are still in the process of accepting this unfortunate reality,” Martin said in a statement on Saturday. “Your thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated.”
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Celebrities shared their memories as news of Carter’s death spread.
Hilary Duff wrote on Instagram, “To Aaron – I’m deeply sorry that life was so hard for you and you had to struggle in front of the whole world.” The “Lizzie McGuire” star dated Carter when the two were young teens. “You had a charm that was absolutely fantastic… boy my teenage self love you so much,
“it is us shocked and sad About the sudden passing of Aaron Carter,” New Kids on the Block tweeted from the group’s official account. “Sending prayers to the Carter family.”
,Fame at a young age is often more a curse than a blessing And it ain’t easy to save,” songwriter Diane Warren tweeted with a broken heart emoji. “RIP Aaron Carter.”
Aaron Carter shared a bill with the Backstreet Boys Tour in 1997 – the same year his self-titled debut album went gold. He reached triple-platinum status with his sophomore album, 2000’s “Aaron’s Party (Come Get It)”, which spawned the title song and hit singles including “I Want Candy”.
Carter earned acting credits in TV shows including “Lizzie McGuire.” She starred in “House of Carters” in 2006 alongside her brother, Nick, and their siblings BJ, Aaron, Leslie, and Angel Carter.
She made her Broadway debut as JoJo in “Who’s Seduced in the Musical” in 2001 and was featured in the Food Network cooking show “Rachel Vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off” in 2012.
Carter’s fifth and final studio album, “Love”, was released in 2018.
Over the years, Carter struggled with substance abuse issues, Entering Rehab in 2017 Following his arrest for a DUI and drug possession.
“I will disappear for a while to work on myself,” he wrote at the time. “Going to get stronger. And work on my stress state and get better.”
In 2019, he apologized and canceled several tour dates, he said. prioritizing his well-being,
He wrote, “I have to put my health first and I hope you all understand how much time I need to recover and recharge my battery at this time.” “That’s what I need to do for some peace.”
A day later in 2019, Nick filed a restraining order against his brother, “We were left with no choice but to do everything we can to protect ourselves,” Nick tweeted. “We love our brother and really hope he gets proper treatment before any harm is done to him or anyone else.”
In September 2022, Aaron Carter revealed that he had voluntarily entered rehab In hopes of regaining custody of their baby son, Prince,
Contributions: Andrea Mandel, Maeve McDermott and Kim Willis, USA Today, and The Associated Press
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