Aaron Carter Said There Was a ‘Prejudice’ Against Him, and His Fanbase Was Not ‘Real’ Before His Death
Aaron Carter rose to fame in the early 2000s as a child star and younger brother of Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys. Since then, Carter lived in the spotlight until his untimely death at 34 years old.
Before Carter died, he appeared on a podcast where he talked candidly about celebrity life and having problematic fans.
Aaron Carter experienced mental health issues and drug addiction before his death
Carter unexpectedly died on Nov. 5, 2022. According to TMZ, he was found dead in a bathtub by a housekeeper at his home in Lancaster, California. Police officers who investigated the scene did not find evidence of foul play, and a cause of death is still to be determined.
For years before his death, Carter often attracted media attention because of his complicated personal life. He had a tumultuous relationship with his siblings and his on-and-off partner, Melanie Martin. Carter also famously dealt with drug and alcohol addiction.
Additionally, Carter revealed during a 2019 appearance on The Doctors that was diagnosed with “multiple personality disorder, schizophrenia, acute anxiety and manic depression.”
A source told People recently that Carter was living with a lot of trauma, especially after his sister Leslie died in 2012 and his father, Robert, died in 2017.
“Aaron never really dealt with a lot of trauma he had,” the source alleged. “He was really torn up when Leslie died, but it was Bob’s death that really threw him.”
The insider added, “He had no one he could trust, and no one trusted him. He was spiraling out of control and he knew it. It was sad to watch. It was actually painful to see him make the choices he made.”
Aaron Carter talked honestly about being a celebrity
Carter lived much of his life as a celebrity and revealed it was not always fun. Shortly before his death, he appeared on the No Jumper podcast, where he shared that “prejudice” against him and being a celebrity presented him with a disadvantage regarding the custody battle of his son, Prince.
Carter also admitted that he was not always happy with his fan base. “I don’t feel like the fan base that I have is actually real — like real, real,” he said.
In another part of the interview, Carter talked about people who frequently sent him negative messages, such as “Backstreet Boys fans” who dislike him. He shared that he tried to ignore them, saying, “Out of sight, out of mind. If you’re not looking at it, you don’t see it.”
Additionally, Carter claimed he had “hundreds of millions of fans” and made $75,000 a month on OnlyFans. However, it should be noted that all of his social media profiles had less than 1 million followers.
Celebrities and fans respond to Carter’s death
After news of Carter’s death reached the public, there was an outpouring of grief from both celebrities and fans.
Carter’s brother posted a heartfelt message on Instagram, writing, “Even though my brother and I have had a complicated relationship, my love for him has never ever faded. I have always held on to the hope that he would somehow, someday want to walk a healthy path and eventually find the help that he so desperately needed.”
The day after his death, the Backstreet Boys also dedicated a song to Carter at their concert.
Meanwhile, Melanie Martin gave statements to the media. “We are still in the process of accepting this unfortunate reality,” she told AP. “Your thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated.,” she said. Martin also posted a video of herself crying on TikTok.
Additionally, Carter’s famous exes, Hilary Duff and Lindsay Lohan, posted messages mourning his death during his teen years.
Many fans on social media shared their grief while reminiscing on how Carter impacted their childhood. Many posts also raised awareness for addiction and other mental health issues.
How to get help: To connect with mental health resources near you, visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) website.
