Aaron Carter, a former child pop singer and younger brother of Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter, has died, a source close to the family told CNN. He was 34.
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told CNN they responded to a call for help at Carter’s Lancaster, California home on Saturday morning around 11 a.m. local time, where a deceased person was found at the scene.
He was found dead in his bathtub, the source said.
Authorities gave no information about a possible cause of death.
Carter, who first found fame as a boy with pop songs like “I Want Candy” and “Crush on You,” is survived by his 11-month-old son, Prince.
The singer’s debut studio album, “Aaron Carter,” was released in 1997 and he performed as the opening act for the Backstreet Boys earlier that year. His fifth and final studio album, “Love,” was released in 2018.
Carter was also known for his roles on television shows such as “Lizzie McGuire” on Disney Channel and “7th Heaven,” which debuted on The WB Television Network. He also appeared on his family’s reality series on E! Entertaiment Television, “House of Carters.”
The singer received an outpouring of of love and support from fans and other celebrities in 2017 after he came out as bisexual.
“There’s something I’d like to say that I feel is important for myself and my identity that has been weighing on my chest for nearly half of my life,” Carter wrote on Twitter. “This doesn’t bring me shame, just a weight and burden I have held onto for a long time that I would like lifted off me.”
He then explained that at around the age of 13 he “started to find boys and girls attractive.”
“There were years that went by that I thought about it, but it wasn’t until I was 17-year-old, after a few relationships with girls, I had an experience with a male that I had an attraction to who I also worked with and grew up with.”
The singer opened up in 2019 in an episode of “The Doctors” about his battle with multiple mental health issues, including multiple personality disorder, schizophrenia, acute anxiety and manic depression.
“This is my reality,” Carter said as he held up a plastic bag of multiple prescription bottles in one clip featured on the show’s Facebook page.
In 2017, Carter was arrested in Georgia under suspicion of driving under the influence and marijuana possession as he and then-girlfriend Madison Parker were traveling through Habersham County.
The singer later said in an interview that he doesn’t drink and denied that he has a drug problem, CNN previously reported.
“I don’t need help,” he said. “What I need is for people to understand that I’m human and that I make mistakes just like every other human in this world, but I would never risk my life or my girlfriend’s life.”
Pop singer Aaron Carter dies at age 34
Carter, who struggled with addiction, had said he was five years sober earlier this year. He was the brother of Backstreet Boys singer Nick Carter. The singer-turned-actor-turned-rapper was known for his early 2000s hits “Aaron’s Party (Come Get It),” “I Want Candy” and “That’s How I Beat Shaq.”
He released his first solo album in Europe on Dec. 1, 1997, six days before he turned 10 years old. The album sold 1 million copies around the world, a signal of his early ascent to stardom.
Carter’s second album, released in 2000 and titled “Aaron’s Party (Come Get It),” was certified triple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, and its title song reached 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 list. He was also known for “I Want Candy” from that album and “I’m All About You” from his 2001 album, “Oh Aaron.” His 2001 single “That’s How I Beat Shaq” included the titular NBA player in a video on a park’s blacktop court and featured preteens dancing along to the bubble gum pop hit.
He made several appearances on television, including in an episode on the first season of “Lizzie McGuire” in a Christmas-themed episode titled “Here Comes Aaron Carter.” In 2001, Carter debuted on Broadway in the cast of the musical “Seussical.”
One of five siblings, Carter co-starred in the family’s 2006 reality television show, “House of Carters.” The show followed the siblings as they moved in together and tried to work through their issues. It ended after one season of eight episodes.
In a statement Saturday, Paul said many people didn’t know how “tender-hearted” Carter was.
“He genuinely cared for others, and the love he felt for those around him was immeasurable; so much so, that we believe it’s safe to say its transcending timelines,” the statement said. “We can still feel his presence and warmth around us.”
Carter is survived by his brother, Nick, and sisters Angel Carter and Bobbie Jean Carter. He also has an infant son named Prince, the Los Angeles Times reported last month. His sister Leslie Carter died in 2012. His father, Robert Gene Carter, died in 2017.
“We are still in the process of accepting this unfortunate reality,” Martin said in the statement to the Associated Press. “Your thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated.”
Adam Grandmaison, host of the podcast “No Jumper," said in a tweet that he’d heard the news of the singer’s death from a close friend. Carter had appeared on the podcast at least three times, most recently in an episode published Wednesday.
“He was a good guy despite all the demons he was battling,” Grandmaison wrote in a tweet. “I’m sad to see him go.”
In 2013, Carter declared bankruptcy, the Tampa Bay Times reported, and a representative for the musician told the paper that a majority of his $2.2 million debt was from when he was a minor and not in control of his finances.
He gave interviews to the talk show “The Doctors” about his dependency on prescription drugs and addiction to huffing. In a 2019 interview on the show, Carter said he put himself on a “regimen” to manage his work, cook his meals and set up his home to have a family.
“So that I can be strong,” he said of his plans in the interview. “I can say I’ve been through hell and back, and I’m back.”
In 2013, Carter was on his “After Party” tour, which he embarked on after a years-long hiatus in music to rejuvenate his career and release new songs.
Asked what it was like to perform in 2014, while he was trying to reestablish himself on the pop scene, Carter told The Washington Post: “People lose their minds. It’s just cool to show them that I’m that guy still.”
Avi Selk contributed to this report.
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