As family, friends and fans continue to mourn the death of Aaron Carter, more details are coming out surrounding his passing and the aftermath.
Carter died at age 34 at his California residence on Saturday, November 5, the “I Want Candy” singer’s rep confirmed to Us Weekly at the time. TMZ later reported that police officers found containers of compressed air and prescription pills at the scene. An official cause of death has yet to be announced.
Tributes for the “Aaron’s Party” artist, who first rose to fame at 7 years old, immediately poured in following his untimely passing.
“My heart has been broken today,” Aaron’s older brother, Nick Carter, wrote via Instagram on Sunday, November 6. “Even though my brother and I have had a complicated relationship, my love for him has never ever faded. I have always held onto the hope that he would somehow, someday want to walk a healthy path and eventually find the help that he so desperately needed.”
The “That’s How I Beat Shaq” rapper had long been candid about his mental health and substance abuse struggles, revealing on The Doctors in 2019 that his “official diagnosis is that I suffer from multiple personality disorder [dissociative identity disorder], schizophrenia, acute anxiety and manic depression.” In addition to revealing a long list of medications he was prescribed, Aaron also admitted that he was addicted to huffing.
“I was huffing because I was really f—king stupid and sad, but this is really no excuse,” he told the hosts. “I was huffing because I’m a drug addict.”
In his heartfelt statement, Nick, 42, added, “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 get a chance to finally have some peace you could never find here on earth. … God, Please take care of my baby brother.”
In addition to siblings Nick and his twin sister, Angel Carter — sister Leslie Carter died in 2012 at age 25 — Aaron was mourned by his ex-fiancée Melanie Martin, with whom he shared 12-month-old son Prince.
Despite their tumultuous three-year relationship, “I was really looking forward to getting married and having more children with him,” the model, 30, exclusively told Us on Monday, November 7. “I feel like we were very close and I was looking forward to spending the holidays with my family again. I am beyond devastated waiting until I can meet my wonderful soulmate again. We never gave up on our love and I feel like we both couldn’t live without each other.”
While both parties alleged domestic violence against each other and filed for restraining orders over the years, Martin claimed to Us that her late ex “really treated me like an actual princess,” adding, “He only wanted to make sure I was happy.”
Keep reading for everything we know so far about the singer’s death:
If you or anyone you know is facing substance abuse issues, call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for free and confidential information 24/7.
