Singer Aaron Carter dies at 34

Singer Aaron Carter died Saturday at his California home, his representative confirmed. He was 34.

Deputy Alejandra Parra with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said deputies 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 rep said in a statement. “At the moment his cause of death is being investigated. We ask that you give the family time and they will have more information when available. We cannot express the outpouring of love coming in.”

Carter, the brother of Nick Carter from the wildly popular Backstreet Boys, 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 and appeared on “Lizzie McGuire” and ABC’s competition show “Dancing With the Stars.” He and his siblings also had their own reality television show, “House of Carters,” which aired in 2006.

In recent years, Carter was open about mental health issues and drug addiction, saying during a 2019 interview on the television 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 he allegedly said he had thoughts of killing Nick Carter’s wife.

Expressing the sentiment of many in music and television, New Kids on the Block said Saturday the news was unexpected and harrowing.

“We are shocked and saddened about the sudden passing of Aaron Carter,” the pop act tweeted. “Sending prayers to the Carter family. Rest in peace, Aaron.”

Melissa Joan Hart, known for her lead role in “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” said on Instagram, “Sending love to the family and friends and fans” of Carter.

Music artist and actor Tyler Hilton described news of Carter’s death as “heartbreaking.”

“This kid had such a spark,” Hilton tweeted Saturday. “Known him for years and always really liked him, he was warm and really funny.”