The Truth About Madelaine Petsch's Relationship With Aaron Carter

Aaron Carter has a knack for surprises — from his unexpected beef with Jesse McCartney, to his tropical house-inspired EP, "Love." Either way, they both slapped (or at least threatened to in the case of McCartney). And now, the singer has hit us with another surprising revelation, and this time it's about "Riverdale" star Madelaine Petsch. For those who haven't been paying attention, "Riverdale" has become something of a cultural phenomenon among Gen Z since it first premiered on The CW in 2015. The show basically put Petsch on the map... though that's not to say her role as "Current Girl No. 2" in the science fiction horror flick "The Hive" wasn't Oscar-worthy; it's just that the trophy rightfully went to Cate Blanchett that year.

It wouldn't be a stretch to call Carter and Petsch birds of a feather. They're both younger millennials working in the same industry, and apparently, both spent some time up in Seattle a few years back. According to Carter, the two once bumped into each other — and Petsch had a surprising impact on the singer.

As it turns out, Aaron Carter and Madelaine Petsch used to be a couple of lovebirds. According to Entertainment Tonight, the singer first encountered Petsch the year before she landed her career-making role as Cheryl Blossom on "Riverdale." Carter says he met the future star while she was doling out pastries while working at the Republic of Pie. "[I] saw her with her little red curls and I asked her out on a date. I was very gentleman-like with her," he revealed. The two hit it off and the "Aaron's Party" singer said they "dated for five or six months" before parting ways.

A few years after their brief romance ended, while Carter was hard at work on his fifth studio album, Petsch began dating "Young & Stupid" rapper Travis Mills and he took issue with Carter namedropping his new girlfriend. According to Teen Vogue, Mills reached out to Carter via Instagram, where he told the singer to "stop using Madelaine's name in ANY interviews or press you are doing," adding that Petsch "has nothing to do with promoting your album." Ouch! 

But it looks as if Carter wasn't fazed by the message, as the singer jumped on Twitter to share the private DM with the world.

Although Aaron Carter and Madelaine Petsch only dated for a few months, the singer says she inspired some of his later music. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, the "I Want Candy" crooner explained that he penned the song "Seattle Tide" after bumping into his old flame at an airport in Seattle. Carter says he played the tune for her "in person," and she immediately knew the track was about her.

We'd like to think that same situation played out the first time Eminem played "Kim" for his ex-wife, Kim Scott. However, unlike Em and Kim, it looks as though there's no bad blood between Carter and Petsch. "I have not been watching [Riverdale], but I heard it's doing great. I'm very happy for her," Carter said, adding that "she's a very talented actress."

After hearing about the brief romance between Carter and Petsch, one small detail stopped a Twitter user in their tracks, who wrote, "My biggest concern after reading this is that you HAVENT watched Riverdale yet, Aaron. You NEED to Netflix binge it!!"