Aaron Carter’s death was caused by drowning and the effects of inhaling difluoroethane and alprazolam, a generic form of Xanax, according to a copy of his autopsy report viewed by Variety Tuesday.
The manner of his death was ruled an accident, with the first cause being drowning and the second being difluoroethane, the main ingredient used in cans of compressed air, as well as the use of Xanax.
On Nov. 5, 2022, officers responded to a call about a suspicious death at Carter’s residence, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Alejandra Parra. According to TMZ, it was his housekeeper who discovered Carter unresponsive in his home and called the authorities.
After her death, her brother and Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter posted a tribute post on Instagram, along with a series of photos of the two children. “Sometimes we want to blame someone or something for a loss,” he wrote in the caption, “But the truth is addiction and mental illness are the real bad guys here.”
Carter had become an embattled figure in recent years. In 2019, he revealed he had been diagnosed with multiple mental health issues in an Entertainment Tonight interview regarding a DUI arrest. A few weeks later, his brother, Nick, obtained an injunction against him.
In September, the Florida native checked himself into rehab for the fifth time in hopes of regaining custody of his then 10-month-old son Prince. He and his ex-fiancée, Melanie Martin, lost custody due to domestic abuse and drug issues.
Carter rose to fame after signing a recording contract after opening for the Backstreet Boys in 1997. At the age of 9, Carter released his first studio album, with the hit single “Crush on You”, which went gold in December 1997. His second album, “Aaron’s Party (Come and Get It)”, was released in 2000 and featured fan favorites “That’s How I Beat Shaq” and “I Want Candy”. The album went triple platinum and launched the teenager to serve as the opening act on tours with Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys. Carter also made guest appearances on Nickelodeon and Disney Channel programs, such as “Lizzie McGuire” and “All That!”
Two other albums followed: “Oh Aaron” in 2001 and “Another Earthquake! in 2002. Carter also starred alongside her siblings in the short-lived reality series “House of Carters” on E! and starred as Jojo in the Broadway production of “Seussical the Musical.” Carter later appeared as a contestant on Season 9 of “Dancing With the Stars”. He returned to music in 2016 with his single “Fool’s Gold” before releasing his fifth album, “Love”, in 2018.