The music world has lost one of its own.
Aaron Carter, a former child star and younger brother of Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter, died Nov. 5, his rep confirmed to E! News. He was 34.
"It is with deepest regret," the musician's rep said in a statement, "to report Aaron Carter was found unresponsive this a.m. in his home in Palmdale, CA."
In a Nov. 5 press release to E! News, the LA Sheriff's Department said deputies responded to a 9-1-1 call from a residence at approximately 11 a.m.. According to the release, the informant on the call, a house sitter, stated she found a male unresponsive in the bathtub. She was advised by the dispatcher to begin CPR prior to the deputies' arrival. Shortly after the deputies arrived, fire department personnel arrived and pronounced the male deceased at the scene.
A Lancaster Sheriff's Office spokesperson confirmed to E! News that officers arrived at Aaron's home but offered no further details. Aaron's cause of death has not been revealed.
Aaron, best known for his 1997 debut single "Crush on You," is survived by an 11-month-old son, Prince (with ex Melanie Martin).
On Nov. 1, four days before he was found dead, Aaron was pulled over by police for allegedly driving an RV erratically but was later let go after he passed a field sobriety test, TMZ reported, citing law enforcement sources. According to the outlet, Melanie was driving behind him at the time in an SUV.
Aaron's death comes amid years of personal turmoil. In 2019, Aaron spoke on TV about his mental health battles, saying he suffered from multiple personality disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety and manic depression.
Aaron, who has been open about his struggles with substance abuse, also suffered family turmoil, feuding with both his twin sister Angel Carter and Nick, who both obtained restraining orders against him in 2019. Angel alleged in her filing that Aaron "threatened" her family's lives, while the Backstreet Boys singer claimed Aaron had told him he had thought about killing Nick's then-pregnant wife and unborn child.
Aaron denied any wrongdoing and later accused Nick and the siblings' late sister Leslie Carter, who died in 2012 at 25 from a drug overdose, of abuse. The allegations were never substantiated.
In 2021, Aaron alleged on social media that his family has tried putting him in a conservatorship. A source close to Nick later told E! News that he and his wife haven't spoken to Aaron in years and that "there is no conservatorship attempt happening."
Aaron rose to fame at age 9 in 1997 with the pop hit "Crush on You," a cover of a song by The Jets. He went on to tour as an opening act for the Backstreet Boys as well as Britney Spears before headlining his own concerts.
Aaron released five studio albums, the last being the 2018 record LØVË, and his first four all charted in the top 20 Hot 200 Albums chart. As a teen, he also appeared on television, with small parts on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, 7th Heaven and Lizzie McGuire, whose star Hilary Duff dated him for several years. In 2009, Aaron competed on Dancing With the Stars. And, in 2021, he tried his hand at boxing, participating in an exhibition boxing match with Lamar Odom, who won.
In recent years, Aaron has concentrated on his music and has been active on social media, where he occasionally chats with fans on-camera. On Nov. 3, he promoted his new single and music video "Lately," a collaboration with fellow artist Mic Garcia, on Instagram.
Fans and fellow celebs paid tribute to Aaron following news of his death. "Fame at a young age is often more a curse than a blessing and Surviving it is not easy," singer Diane Warren tweeted. "RIP Aaron Carter."