Aaron Carter, who enjoyed fame at an early age as a singer, television personality and the younger brother of Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter, died Saturday. He was 34.
A representative from his management team confirms to The Hollywood Reporter that he was found dead in his home in Lancaster, California. No cause of death was given. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department told THR that a suspicious death took place at the address of Carter’s residence but could not confirm the identity of the dead person.
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.”
The official Twitter account for New Kids on the Block posted, “We are shocked and saddened about the sudden passing of Aaron Carter. Sending prayers to the Carter family. Rest in peace, Aaron.”
Born in Tampa, Florida, on Dec. 7, 1987, Carter got his start opening for the Backstreet Boys on a 1997 tour. His debut album, Aaron Carter, was released later that year when he was just 9 and reached gold status.
His follow-up album, Aaron’s Party (Come and Get It), dropped in September 2000 and went triple-platinum. It featured the singles “I Want Candy,” “Aaron’s Party (Come Get It)” and “That’s How I Beat Shaq,” and he supported the album as an opening act for Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears on the Oops!… I Did It Again Tour.
Carter’s third album, Oh Aaron, went platinum in 2001, and he has released two since then, most recently Love in 2018.
He dabbled in acting, appearing on shows including Lizzie McGuire, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and 7th Heaven and in such films as Fat Albert (2004) and the Channing Tatum-starring Supercross (2005). Carter made his Broadway debut in 2001 as JoJo the Who in Seussical the Musical and had a long run as a castmember on the off-Broadway production of The Fantasticks.
Carter also made plenty of unscripted TV appearances, which included starring alongside Nick and their siblings B.J., Leslie and Angel Carter on the E! series House of Carters in 2006. Leslie died of a drug overdose in January 2012 at age 25.
Among his other television credits, he competed on the 2009 season of ABC’s Dancing With the Stars, finishing in fifth place, and on the Food Network cooking battle series Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off in 2012.
Carter was a gossip-site fixture and generated headlines surrounding his personal life, dating to his years as a teen heartthrob. He welcomed son Prince with Melanie Martin in November 2021.
Over the years, the star was open about his struggles with substance abuse, including on a 2017 episode of The Doctors. In September, he said he had checked into rehab for a fifth time in an effort to regain custody of his son. He had entered rehab in 2017 following an arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence and marijuana charges.
During an interview with podcast No Jumper that was posted to YouTube this month, Carter said he was grateful for his success and remained hopeful for the future, though he wasn’t concerned with achieving further fame.
“I enjoyed all of that, and I’m back to do that — that’s what I’m back to do,” Carter said about focusing again on his music. “I don’t really care about [stardom] because I’ve had so many levels in the industry, and fame and fortune, and highs and lows — it’s like a roller coaster. … I’m a singer, a songwriter, a performer, and this is what I do, and I’m never going to give up on it.”
