This post deals with drug abuse, sexual assault, miscarriage and violence, and could be triggering for some readers.

Aaron Carter has died age 34.

He first came to fame in the late 1990s and early 2000s when the singer established himself as a household name thanks to his heartthrob status.

He was the quintessential pin-up, with bubblegum songs like ‘I Want Candy’ flinging him into mainstream fame. His second album,Aaron’s Party (Come Get It), sold three million copies in the United States.

At not even 16 years old, Carter had released four albums.

The singer performed as the opening act for Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys (of which his brother, Nick Carter, was one) and appeared in Disney showLizzie McGuire. He also infamously dated Hilary Duff and Lindsay Lohan – at the same time.

But, as is a well-known narrative for many teenage sensations, his stardom softened as his drug use hardened.

In an interview with American talk-showThe Doctors, Carter shared the reality of his drug addiction at 33 years old.

"I started [ huffing ] when I was about 16. My sister Leslie, who passed away from an overdose, got me into it," Carter recalled. "I didn’t really touch it until I was about 23, right after I didDancing with the Stars. And I started going to Staples and Office Depot, and different places, buying it with cash so it wouldn’t be reported on receipts or anything like that, so no one could trace me."

"I was huffing because I was really f**king stupid and sad but this is really no excuse," he continued.

"I was huffing because I’m a drug addict."

In 2017, Carter made headlines when he was arrested for driving under the influence and being in possession of drugs.

His brother, Backstreet Boy singer Nick Carter, posted to Twitter following the incident: "To my brother: I love u no matter what & if u feel the need to reach for help, I am here and willing to help you get better... Family isn’t always easy, [but] we’re all here for you."

However, in a public statement, Carter revealed there was family tension, criticising his older brother for his supposed support, saying, "If my own blood truly cared about my well-being, why wouldn’t he call me directly and have a conversation instead of making this about him through a very public forum?"

"That’s not cool at all to use me for his PR and kick me while I am down. I love my family despite it through thick and thin."

In September 2017, the singer checked himself into rehab before relapsing and then admitting himself again in October of the same year.

In his recent talk-show appearance, the singer further shared his mental health struggle, listing his conditions.

"The official diagnosis is that I suffer from multiple personality disorder, schizophrenia, acute anxiety; I’m manic depressive," Carter announced. "I’m prescribed to Xanax, Seroquel, gabapentin, hydroxyzine, trazodone, omeprazole."

Carter then went on to hold up a plastic bag containing his plethora of prescription drugs, saying: "This is my reality. Hi. I have nothing to hide."

The singer, who released the song 'Hard To LøVë' in 2018, told the doctors that he was "doing amazing". He claimed he was sober, bar marijuana, and pledged to quit smoking.

"I can say I’ve been through hell and back. And I’m here to stay. I still struggle, but I wake up every morning, I'm creative and I'm starting to get acclimated to my medications. I gained 45 pounds. I manage my career, I negotiate my contracts. That's what it's like for me being sober," he said.

During the interview, Carter also accused his mother of having issues with alcohol addiction.

"Her drinking [starts at] 5am in the morning [when] she wakes up, she drinks a whole bottle of vodka... I'm the only one that goes down there and visits my mum," he claimed.

Developments, however, had his family members and fans more concerned than ever for his own mental health.

In September 2019, brother Nick and sister Angel released a statement saying they'd taken out a restraining order against their younger brother.

Nick, 41, said the legal move came "in light of Aaron's increasingly alarming behaviour."

The statement read: "After careful consideration, my sister Angel and I regret that we were required to seek a restraining order against our brother Aaron.

"In light of Aaron's increasingly alarming behaviour and his recent confessions that he harbours 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.

"We love our brother and truly hope he gets the proper treatment he needs before any harm comes to himself or anyone else."

They added they were particularly scared because Carter legally owned guns and was allowed to keep them. He had been photographed with a large rifle at his home.

Aaron said in one of his tweets that he had been allowed to keep his weapons and had been visited by the police.

Aaron responded to the claims by tweeting: "Take care Nick Carter. We're done for life."

He then went on to claim his sister Leslie, who died from a drug overdose in 2012, aged 25, raped him.

"My sister Leslie suffered from bipolar and took lithium to treat it," Aaron tweeted. "She never liked the way it made her feel and when she was off of it she did things that she never meant to do I truly believe that. I was 10 years old...."

My sister Leslie suffered from bipolar and took lithium to treat it. She never liked the way it made her feel and when she was off of it she did things that she never meant to do I truly believe that. I was 10 years old....

— Aaron Carter (@aaroncarter) September 19, 2019

"My sister raped me from the age of 10 to 13 years old when she wasn't on her medications," he continued.

my sister raped me from the age of 10 to 13 years old when she wasn’t on her medications and I was absused not only sexually by her but by my first two back up dancers when I was 8 years old. And my brother absused me my whole life.

— Aaron Carter (@aaroncarter) September 19, 2019

In a final tweet, Aaron said it's his brother's turn "to tell the truth".

In 2020, Carter revealed he was in a new relationship with his girlfriend Melanie Martin. Within just three months, he announced their engagement.

To show his commitment to Martin, the singer added a tattoo of her first name above his right eyebrow.

It was not his first face tattoo. Just two days after his siblings filed the restraining orders against him, Carter debuted a large facial tattoo, which is said to have been inspired by a photograph of singer Rihanna.

"I'M THE BIGGEST THING IN MUSIC RIGHT NOW. I CAN'T BE DENIED. FACT CHECK ME," Carter wrote, while sharing photos of the new tattoo.

The pair revealed in 2020 that Martin had suffered a miscarriage just a few months into their relationship.

"She suffered a miscarriage due to stress conditions," Carter said in a clip shared to Instagram on June 8, 2020. "We’re gonna give it some time, let her