Hilary Duff Slams ‘Heartless’ Publisher of Aaron Carter Memoir After His Death
Hilary Duff fiercely defended Aaron Carter after a publishing company revealed plans to publish the singer’s memoir shortly after his death. Here’s what we know about the book, what Duff said, and how the publishing company responded.
Hilary Duff shared an emotional Instagram post after Aaron Carter’s death
Singer, rapper, and actor Aaron Carter died on Saturday, Nov. 5. TMZ reported that the 34-year-old former child star’s body was found in the bathtub of his Lancaster, California home. Carter is survived by his 12-month-old son, Prince, whom he shared with his ex-fiancée Melanie Martin. Toxicology results from the autopsy could take up to several weeks.
Hilary Duff, who dated Carter in her teenage years (and had an infamous love triangle with Lindsay Lohan), responded to news of his death on Instagram.
“For Aaron- I’m deeply sorry that life was so hard for you and that you had to struggle in-front of the whole world,” Duff wrote. “You had a charm that was absolutely effervescent… boy did my teenage self love you deeply. Sending love to your family at this time. Rest easy [red heart emoji].”
Hilary Duff slammed Ballast Books for publishing Aaron Carter’s tell-all memoir after his death
A tell-all book titled Aaron Carter: An Incomplete Story of an Incomplete Life is scheduled for release on Nov. 15. It was written by Andy Symonds after spending three years interviewing Carter, and will be published by Ballast Books.
The New York Post obtained a copy of the unfinished memoir prior to its publication, and reported that it contained the following passage about Hilary Duff: “Hilary and I lost our virginity to each other at a hotel… in LA. I think it was her birthday, maybe her 13th, but I don’t remember. Her friends walked in, and we just yelled at them to get out.”
Duff slammed Ballast Books for releasing Carter’s unfinished memoir posthumously. “It’s really sad that within a week of Aaron’s death, there’s a publisher that seems to be recklessly pushing a book out to capitalize on this tragedy without taking appropriate time or care to fact check the validity of his work,” the Lizzie McGuire star said in a statement obtained by E! News.
She continued, “To water down Aaron’s life story to what seems to be unverified click-bait for profit is disgusting. In no way do I condone shedding any light on what is so obviously an uninformed, heartless, money grab.”
Ballast Books responded to criticism over the posthumous memoir
Andy Symonds from Ballast Books, who worked closely with Aaron Carter on his tell-all memoir, responded to criticism over the book by giving a statement to E! News on Nov. 11.
“Aaron Carter hired me to help him tell the world his story,” Symonds wrote. “That story, while tragically cut short, was filled with good and bad. His life was far from pretty, and understandably certain people in the public eye don’t want some of the stories Aaron tells in his book to come to light.”
He continued, “That doesn’t make them any less true or newsworthy. Aaron had a right – as we all do – to tell his story. As a journalist, I am honored that he chose me to help him do that. In addition to being cathartic for him, Aaron hoped this book would help others struggling with addiction and mental illness. I hope and believe it will do that.”
How to get help: In the U.S., contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration helpline at 1-800-662-4357.
