Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys is speaking out about the death of his younger brother Aaron Carter, who was found dead Saturday at his home in Southern California.
“My heart was broken today,” Nick, 42, began in a tribute shared on Instagram on Sunday. “Even though my brother and I had a complicated relationship, my love for him never faded.”
Aaron died at age 34.
In 2019, Nick filed a restraining order against his brother.
“We had no choice but to take all possible measures to protect ourselves,” he said. tweeted at the time. “We love our brother and sincerely hope he gets the proper treatment he needs before any harm happens to him or someone else.”
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The Backstreet Boys singer wrote that he “still held out hope, that (Aaron) would one day want to walk a healthy path and finally find the help he so desperately needed”.
“Sometimes we want to blame someone or something for a loss. But the truth is, addiction and mental illness are the real bad guys here,” Nick continued.
He concluded, “I will miss my brother more than anyone will ever know. I love you Chizz., Now you finally have the chance to have a peace that you could never find here on earth…God, if he please take care of my little brother.”
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Deputies responded around 11 a.m. on Saturday following reports of a medical emergency at the Lancaster home, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Alejandra Parra said, according to The Associated. Press.
The Backstreet Boys pay tribute to Aaron Carter, his brother Nick breaks down in tears
The Backstreet Boys paid tribute to Aaron during their Sunday night show at London’s O2 Arena. In videos shared on social networksBackstreet Boys member Kevin Richardson dedicated his 2019 single, “No Place,” to Aaron, and said the song was “very special to us because this song is about family.”
“Everyone here, we all grew up together,” he told the crowd.
Nick was visibly moved and tried to hold back tears as the audience shouted, “We love you Nick.” Other members of the group were seen taking turns hugging him.
“We’ve been through ups and downs and ups and downs – thank you for being with the Backstreet family for 29 years, for all the love,” Richardson continued. “Tonight we have a bit of a heavy heart because we lost a member of our family yesterday. We just wanted to find a moment on our show to acknowledge it.”
In another video shared on Twitter from the concert, photos of Aaron were projected on a giant screen in an in-memoriam tribute.
Aaron Carter’s twin sister Angel remembers her ‘adorable’ brother
Aaron’s twin sister Angel also shared a heartfelt tribute to her late brother on Instagram on Saturday.
“To my twin…I loved you beyond measure,” Angel, 34, wrote alongside a series of childhood photos of the couple. “We will miss you very much.”
She continued, “My funny and sweet Aaron, I have so many memories of you and me, and I promise to cherish them. I know you are at peace now.”
“I’ll carry you with me until the day I die and I’ll see you again,” Angel concluded.
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The Game remembers Aaron Carter as ‘a very good human’, recalls flying together
Rapper The Game reposted Nick’s photo from his Instagram tribute on Sunday and shared an anecdote about when he first met Aaron on a flight in 2005.
“Your words to your brother as honest and pure as they touched me this morning, so I wanted to respond to you and share with the world a quick story that was a true testament to Aaron’s character and heart,” began his legend.
“I boarded a flight to New York with my (now 19) son (and) his mother to do ‘106 & Park’ and we were in 1st class, so we thought,” The Game recalls . “Turns out they overbooked (and) we were missing a seat (and Aaron) was sitting on the other side of the island (and) said, ‘Hey, you got a little man… you can have my Game seat. “
The rapper said he “felt bad” that Aaron gave up his first-class seat, so he joined him in the coach, where they ended up talking for almost six hours.
“I remember thinking how cool it was to talk to a guy I’ve seen on MTV a million times, my little sister loved to death, because then again, I had just become a star , so that was super dope,” The Game wrote. “We got to know each other really well on that flight, we exchanged sidekick numbers (and) always hugged when we saw each other over the years.”
“He was dope… (and) a really good human,” he concluded. “Rest Aaron, fly high kid.”
Aaron Carter shot to fame in the early 2000s for “Aaron’s Party (Come Get It)”
Aaron has opened for Britney Spears and her brother’s boy band, and appeared on the family reality series “House of Carters” on E! Entertainment Television in 2006.
He achieved triple platinum status with his second album, “Aaron’s Party (Come Get It)” in 2000, which produced hit singles including the title track and “I Want Candy.” His videos have been shown regularly on Disney and Nickelodeon.
Her fifth and final studio album, “LOVE”, was released in 2018.
Over the years, Aaron has struggled with substance abuse issues, entering rehab in 2017 following a DUI and an arrest for drug possession.
“I’m going to disappear for a while to work on myself,” he wrote at the time. “I’m going to get strong. And work on my stress conditions and get better.”
In 2019, he apologetically canceled a series of tour dates, saying he was prioritizing his well-being.
“I have to put my health first and I hope you all understand how much I need this time to heal and recharge my batteries,” he wrote. “That’s what I have to do to have some peace.”
In September 2022, Aaron revealed that he voluntarily entered rehab in hopes of regaining custody of his baby son, Prince.
Contributors: Andrea Mandell, Maeve McDermott and Kim Willis, USA TODAY and The Associated Press
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