Warning: This article contains discussion of drug addiction which some readers may find distressing. Angel Carter has courageously shared insights on the emotional burden she carried almost a decade in anticipation of her brother Aaron Carter’s death. Angel, who is also a talented singer, is the sibling of the late pop sensation Aaron Carter and Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys fame.
Angel revealed that Aaron’s early fame brought significant challenges for their family. She has previously expressed her grief over the tragic loss of three of her four siblings at young ages. In a sorrowful turn of events, Aaron passed away at the age of 34 in November 2022. His death was attributed to drowning, exacerbated by the sedatives and gas he had inhaled.
Recently on The Squeeze podcast, Angel discussed not only her brother Aaron’s demise but also the loss of her older sister Leslie, who succumbed to an overdose in 2012. “What’s so interesting about Leslie’s passing, she passed away when I was 23 – her death completely blindsided me,” she confided to hosts Taylor and Tay Lautner. “I didn’t see that one coming.”
“When she died, I was already in therapy preparing for Aaron’s death. I thought he was going to die. I feared it my entire 20s. I knew this day was going to come and I think he knew it too,” Angel shared, shedding light on the grim inevitability she felt surrounding Aaron’s fate.
Through the years, despite her persistent attempts to support him, Angel faced resistance from Aaron, who often pushed her away. In 2019, amidst a challenging period marked by a diagnosis of bipolar and schizophrenia disorders, Aaron experienced a severe psychotic episode. Angel recounted the troubling time: “He told me he had thoughts of ‘killing babies’ and he started to accumulate several guns.”
This alarming situation led Angel and her older brother, Nick, to take legal action, resulting in a restraining order against Aaron and the confiscation of his firearms to protect him from potential harm to himself or others.
Visibly emotional, Angel confessed on the podcast, “I had to protect him from himself. I couldn’t save him. It wasn’t my responsibility to save him but I tried.” She also attributed his tragic decline to the exploitation and manipulation by those around him from the tender age of nine, highlighting the harsh realities of child stardom.
If you’re experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) provides support. They’re available from 5pm to midnight every day of the year. You can reach them at their national number 0800 58 58 58 or through their webchat service.
For those seeking advice about drug issues, American Addiction Centers are reachable 24/7 at (313) 209-9137, or you can visit their website for more information.