Source Explains Which Two Events Weighed On Aaron Carter Prior To His Death

Soon after Aaron Carter's tragic death was announced, many people couldn't help but wonder what kind of relationship he had with his family — and particularly with his brother, Nick Carter. Nick's brutally honest statement about Aaron's death hit home with fans, as a lot of them knew there was more to their relationship than what some headlines offered. Sharing throwback photos of their happier days together, Nick wrote on Instagram, "Even though my brother and I have had a complicated relationship, my love for him has never ever faded," while also adding, "The truth is that addiction and mental illness is the real villain here."

And while Aaron's relationship with Nick was certainly complicated, his relationship with his sisters Angel and Leslie were no different, either. According to E! News back in 2019, Angel took out a restraining order on her twin brother after he threatened to harm her family. Aaron also made eyebrow-raising claims about his sister Leslie, who died back in 2012, when he suggested that she had molested him as a child. "My sister raped me from the age of 10 to 13 years old when she wasn't on her medications and I was absused [sic] not only sexually by her but by my first two back up dancers when I was 8 years old." he said in a now-deleted tweet (via Page Six). 

With that said, one source says that there were two particular events that weighed heavily on Aaron prior to his death.

While Nick Carter made it clear that mental health had a lot to do with how Aaron Carter's life spiraled out of control before his death, it's the deaths of their sister Leslie Carter and father Robert Carter that had affected him the most. Leslie had died from an overdose in 2012 while Robert died from an alleged heart attack in 2017, per TMZ. Apparently, Aaron never recovered from the tragic deaths of his family members. One source close to the situation told People, "Aaron never really dealt with a lot of trauma he had. He was really torn up when Leslie died, but it was Bob's death that really threw him."

The insider went on to say that while Aaron had a "dysfunctional relationship" with both of his parents, it was his father's death that crushed him. Back in 2019, Aaron himself said that he felt "responsible" for the deaths of his father and sister during an episode of "Marriage Boot Camp: Family Edition." His mother Jane also appeared on the show and seemed to back up her son's claim by saying (via E! News), "I think that's one of the things that hurts Aaron the most, he just was so busy with his own life that he wasn't there, and I think he wanted to be there for them. In his heart he feels like he could've done something more."

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.