Singer Aaron Carter died Saturday at his California home, his representative confirmed. He was 34.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Alejandra Parra said officers were called to his home on Valley Vista Drive in Lancaster just before 11 a.m. and found “a deceased person.”
Further details were not immediately available.
“We are extremely saddened and shocked to confirm the passing of Aaron Carter today,” his representative said in a statement. “At this point, his cause of death is being investigated. We ask that you give the family time and they will have more information as they become available. We cannot express the outpouring of love that is coming in.”
The brother of Nick Carter of the wildly popular Backstreet Boys, Carter rose to fame as a pop star in the 1990s. He released his first self-titled studio album in 1997, followed by “Aaron’s Party (Come Get It) in 2000, which went triple platinum. It featured the hit singles “I Want Candy” and “That’s How I Beat Shaq.”
The former child star also ventured into acting, appearing on “Lizzie McGuire” and ABC’s competition show “Dancing With the Stars.” He and his siblings also had their own reality TV show, “House of Carters,” which aired in 2006.
In recent years, Carter has been open about mental health issues and drug addiction, saying in a 2019 interview on the TV show “The Doctors” that he suffered from what is now known as dissociative identity disorder, schizophrenia, acute anxiety and manic depression.
That same year, Nick Carter filed a restraining order against his younger sibling after allegedly saying he had thoughts about killing Nick Carter’s wife.
Expressing the sentiment of many in music and television, New Kids on the Block said on Saturday the news was unexpected and distressing.
“We are shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of Aaron Carter,” the pop act said tweeted. “I pray for the Carter family. Rest in peace, Aaron.”
Melissa Joan Hart, known for her starring role in ‘Sabrina the Teenage Witch’, said on… Instagram“Sending love to the family and friends and fans” by Carter.
Music artist and actor Tyler Hilton described the news of Carter’s death as “heartbreaking.”
“This kid had such a spark,” Hilton tweeted Saturday. “Knew him for years and always liked him very much, he was warm and very funny.”
Dennis Romero contributed.