Aaron Carter had an unhealthy “obsession” with his older brother, Nick Carter, and was “crying out” for his love for years, the tragic star’s friend told Page Six.
Gary Madatyan — a longtime friend of the “I’m All About You” singer — claimed Aaron often talked about repairing his relationship with the Backstreet Boys singer, right up to his untimely death in a bathtub at his home on Saturday.
Madatyan further alleged Aaron’s mental illness had put a lot of strain on the singer’s relationships with his family and fiancé, Melanie Martin. Still, he wanted to make amends with the people he had hurt.
“I wish he could have done a little more as a blood relative to Aaron,” Madatyan said of Nick. “I’m not judging him. I’m not saying anything bad because I respect him. He’s a talented artist. I love him, but Aaron had an obsession with his brother.”
He added, “Mentally ill people think differently. He was … pushing, poking to get that attention. Aaron did things he should have never done to his brother, but we’re talking about mental health. He was crying out for help.”
Despite their estranged relationship, a rep for Aaron said the siblings were “in a good place” before he was found unresponsive at his home in Lancaster, Calif. on Nov. 5.
“He looked up to Nick in so many ways. They were trying to make everything good again,” the singer’s rep said on Monday.
Madatyan further alleged to us that he became alarmed over the past few months when “new faces” began to insert themselves into Aaron’s life.
He said the singer had been working on new music and made it a goal to improve his life so he could regain custody of his 11-month-old son, Prince.
“It just breaks my heart that nobody was there for him,” Madatyan said. “Different kinds of people were pulling him out and using his addiction and his mental illness … They used his name for publicity.
“I said to him, ‘Look, I don’t like this. I love you so much and will do anything for you, but let me help you. This is not OK, brother. You’re not going on the right path with your life.’”
Madatyan said his friend also was worried about his finances. Celebrity Boxing CEO Damon Feldman claimed he spoke to Aaron about possibly getting in the ring to fight actor Andy Dick.
“We talked about it two weeks ago, but he never got back to me,” Feldman told Page Six.
“That’s how he was. It’s heartfelt that he is gone. He was such a big part of the return of Celebrity Boxing.”
Madatyan and Martin were allowed to go through the pop star’s Lancaster home after Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner officials took Aaron’s remains for examination.
Madatyan claimed there were no drugs or anything suspicious when he examined the entire home, “except the water in the tub … it was odd, yellowish water.”
TMZ reported aerosol cans were found inside the home, but Madatyan alleged he did not see them.
Madatyan said his best friend of 12 years had a lot of plans and did not talk about harming himself.
“Aaron loved life and he would have never done suicide,” Madatyan said.
Aaron, 34, was very open about his drug addiction and struggles with his mental health. In 2019, the singer appeared on the talk show “The Doctors” and confessed he was taking medication for anxiety, manic depression and multiple personality disorder.
That same year, his twin sister, Angel, and Nick filed a restraining order against Aaron.
Madatyan said being ordered to stay away from his family deeply hurt the singer.
“He would say, [Nick] doesn’t want me to be successful … he hates me,’” Madatyan claimed. “I said, ‘I don’t think so. Maybe you should give it a try and talk to him.’ He wanted to repair that relationship but you can tell he was kind of really lonely.”
He continued, “He had already admitted he had abused drugs, admitted he has mental health issues, but no one came to just hold his hand. I’m not here to judge anyone, but if my brother had a mental illness, I would never put a restraining order on him. That was really painful for him. Mental illness is not a choice.”
Madatyan claimed he tried multiple times to get him to move back to the Los Angeles area so he could help manage his life, but there were “other influences” around him.
“I would always hug him and say to him, ‘You’re not alone, Aaron,’” he claimed. “But that wasn’t enough sometimes. I’m not angry at his family, but you know how much he loved [Nick]. When a blood relative puts in effort, it means more than any friend around him.
“What I want people to know is … never give up on someone who is struggling with a mental health issue because there will be a time when it might be too late. I don’t want anyone to regret that they could’ve done something when they didn’t. That’s the worst feeling you can ever have.”
A rep for Nick did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.