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 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.
Born in Tampa on December 7, 1987, Carter got his start opening for the Backstreet Boys on a 1997 tour, and his debut album, Aaron Carter, was released later than year, reaching gold status.
His follow-up album, Aaron’s Party (Come and Get It), was released 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 albums since then, most recently Love in 2018.
He dabbled in acting, appearing on shows including Lizzie McGuire and 7th Heaven and in the 2005 film Supercross that also starred Channing Tatum. Carter made his Broadway debut in 2001 as JoJo the Who in Seussical the Musical and later had a long run as a castmember of the off-Broadway production of The Fantasticks.
He starred alongside Nick and their siblings B.J., Aaron, Leslie and Angel Carter on the E! unscripted series House of Carters in 2006. Leslie died of a drug overdose in January 2012 at the age of 25.
Other television credits included competing 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 known for headlines surrounding his personal life, dating back to his early 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 2022, he said he had entered rehab for a fifth time in an effort to regain custody of his son. He had previously entered rehab back in 2017 following an arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence and marijuana charges.
More to come.