The Sad Reality Of Angel Carter's Life After Her Brother Aaron's Death

This article discusses addiction.

Though his struggles with addiction and mental health were public knowledge, Aaron Carter's death in November 2022 still sent shockwaves across the globe. He was only 34. Aaron's cause of death was deemed an accidental drowning following a difluoroethane and alprazolam overdose, according to Page Six. His siblings publicly mourned the tragedy, giving insight into their difficult family dynamics. "Even though my brother and I have had a complicated relationship, my love for him has never ever faded," Nick Carter wrote on social media.

While Aaron's fraught relationship with Nick has been talked about extensively, his relationship with twin sister Angel was similarly complicated. Nick and Angel were close most of their lives, with the "I Want Candy" singer frequently showing his affection for her. "My twin sister is coming to my show tonight in LA at The Mint. Makes my heart warm," he tweeted in February 2019. But the two had a falling out later that year when Aaron accused her of working with his ex-girlfriend and brother to institutionalize him.

"All of you let me live my life in peace," he tweeted in September 2019. The situation escalated, with Angel getting a restraining order against Aaron after he reportedly threatened her, TMZ reported. But Angel contended she was trying to protect him. "I spoke with him two days before he passed, and I begged, once again, for him to let us help," she shared in a December 2022 Instagram post. And that's what she's still trying to do.

The tragedy surrounding Aaron Carter's death was heightened when his mother, Jane Carter, shared graphic photos of the death scene on Facebook, claiming she believed her son might have been the victim of foul play. "I'm totally supported by the family and friends who know I had to post the awful photos," she contended in a separate post. Despite her mother's claim, Angel Carter proved that was far from the truth. "It was a true invasion of privacy and something that Aaron would've never wanted the public to see," she told People in August.

Angel revealed she even stopped talking to Jane as a consequence. Even though Angel couldn't help her twin, she's now committed to helping others. Shortly after Aaron's death, Angel teamed up with On Our Sleeves, a nonprofit that works to promote children's mental health. "Despite all this pain, his passing has lit a fire within me," she captioned a December 2022 Instagram post. Angel's choice of organization was no happenstance.

From her inability to do much for Aaron, Angel decided efforts needed to start early. She believes the timeframe for productive intervention is short, needing to be carried out when there's still time to address conditions that might lead to harmful behavior, like addiction. "It's much easier to raise a strong child than to fix a broken adult," she told People. "Something positive has to come from all this. I refuse to allow Aaron to have died in vain."

Aaron Carter's family chose to have his body cremated shortly after his death, TMZ reported. Before the Carters decided where to lay Aaron to rest, it was Angel Carter who kept his ashes. And it sounds like she had a big say on where his remains were going to end up. In late November 2022, Jane Carter told TMZ Aaron's ashes were going to be scattered off the Florida Keys, along with the ashes of his sister Leslie Carter, who also died from an overdose. But that's not what happened.

In October, Angel revealed Aaron's ashes were buried at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills. "He adored his fans, and I know how much this would mean to him now having a final resting place where we could all celebrate his life," she captioned the Instagram post, inviting all to visit. Angel held on to Aaron's ashes for close to a year in an effort to protect him. "I can't trust that anybody else is not going to exploit him. So at that time, that was my last act of love," she told People in August 2023.

Angel, who lost another sibling, Bobbie Carter, in December 2023, has spoken about the difficult environment they were raised in. "Fame and money took over our family," she told People. She made a similar assertion after Bobbie's death. "I know why Leslie, Aaron, and now you ended up in the circumstances that you did," she wrote on Instagram.

If you or anyone you know is struggling 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).