Singer Aaron Carter’s cause of death has been determined to be the result of difluoroethane and alprazolam use after he was found dead at his Lancaster, California, home on November 5, 2022, In Touch can confirm.
According to a report from the Los Angeles County Coroner, the famed singer used difluoroethane – a gas common in air spray cleaners – and alprazolam – which causes drowsiness and sedation – before getting in the bathtub. The drug combination left him incapacitated, causing him to become submerged underwater. The official cause of death is listed as drowning due to the effects of difluoroethane and alprazolam and has been ruled an accident.
The “I Want Candy” singer was found unresponsive in the bathtub by his housekeeper, TMZ reported on November 6. The “Aaron’s Party” artist, who had struggled for years with addiction and mental illness, was pronounced dead when paramedics arrived at the scene.
He was 34 and is survived by a son named Prince, whom he shared with on-off fiancée Melanie Martin.
Nick Carter said his “heart” was “broken” over his younger brother’s tragic death in a lengthy tribute via Instagram.
“Even though my brother and I have had a complicated relationship, my love for him has never ever faded,” the Backstreet Boys singer, 42, wrote on November 6. “I have always held onto the hope, that he would somehow, someday want to walk a healthy path and eventually find the help that he so desperately needed.”
The “I Want It That Way” artist called “addiction and mental health” the “real villain” of the grim situation.
“I will miss my brother more than anyone will ever know,” Nick continued. “I love you, Chizz. Now you get a chance to finally have some peace you could never find here on earth. God, please take care of my baby brother.”
In addition to Nick, Aaron is survived by mother Jane Carter, his twin sister, Angel, and sister Bobbie Jean. Their sister Leslie died of a drug overdose in January 2012 at age 25.
Aaron had a troubled past that stemmed from his struggle with addiction. He first publicly announced he was checking himself in a rehab facility in September 2017, two months after he was charged with DUI, possession of less than one ounce of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia stemming from an arrest in July of that year. In Touch confirmed his DUI was dropped to a reckless driving charge and his other two charges were dismissed.
The “Sooner or Later” singer also battled mental health issues. In September 2019, he shared that he had been diagnosed with “multiple personality disorder, schizophrenia, acute anxiety and manic depression” during an appearance on The Doctors.
That same month, Nick filed a restraining order against Aaron after he allegedly made a disturbing statement about his wife, Lauren Kitt.
“In light of Aaron’s increasingly alarming behavior and his recent confessions 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,” Nick tweeted at the time, on behalf of himself and sister Angel. “We love our brother and truly hope he gets the proper treatment he needs before any harm comes to himself or anyone else.”
Aaron denied his brother’s allegations on Twitter, claiming that they had not been in touch for four years. The restraining order was granted after Nick and Angel supplied sufficient evidence, In Touch confirmed.
The “Leave It Up to Me” singer claimed in September 2022 that he voluntarily began an outpatient rehab program in order to regain custody of his son, Prince.
At the time, Aaron told The Sun that a court order mandated that Melanie have temporary custody of their son following a domestic violence dispute. In February, he and his ex both requested temporary restraining orders against each other, In Touch confirmed.
