Nick Carter Takes Time Away From The Spotlight After The Tragic Death Of His Brother Aaron

The following article includes mention of drug addiction and overdose.

Aaron Carter's life and career were cut short on November 5, 2022, when he was found dead in his home in California. TMZ reported that his housekeeper called the police after she discovered him in the bathtub. The star, who was famous in his early aughts, had fallen out of the spotlight considerably, so the final year of his life was lived relatively quietly. Aaron did have some new projects underway — including a sitcom pilot — but he was more famous for being the brother of Backstreet Boys' Nick Carter.

Nick and Aaron had a difficult relationship. The former had to obtain a restraining order against his brother. In September 2019, Nick tweeted: "In light of Aaron's increasingly alarming behavior and his recent confession that he harbors thoughts and intentions of killing my pregnant wife and unborn child, we were left with no choice but to take every measure possible to protect ourselves and our family." Nevertheless, Nick had hoped they would reconcile, and Aaron's death was a devastating blow to him and his siblings. In light of this, Nick has taken a major step back as the rest of the Backstreet Boys make appearances.

On Nov. 11, the Backstreet Boys made an appearance on Britain's "This Morning," where they discussed their upcoming Christmas album and offered a retrospective on their 20-year-long careers, according to the Daily Mail. Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, Brian Littrell, and Kevin Richardson all spoke with host Alison Hammond about the scope of their careers. "We are enjoying this now more than ever before! When we first started, we were young guys, and now we're married men," Dorough said.

At the end of the interview, Hammond paid her respects to Aaron Carter and made mention of Nick Carter's absence from his band. "Of course, we are sending all our love to Nick Carter, who wasn't able to be there for family reasons, as we all know, but gave the boys his blessing to go ahead with the interview," Hammond said.

After Aaron's death, Nick posted a tribute to his brother on Instagram, referencing some of Aaron's struggles. "Sometimes, we want to blame someone or something for a loss, but the truth is that addiction and mental illness is the real villain here," he wrote. "I will miss my brother more than anyone will ever know." Our condolences go out to the Carter family.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).