Aaron Carter's autopsy has revealed the late star's cause of death.
Carter died in November 2022 and was found deceased in a bathtub in his home in Lancaster, California, and an autopsy was performed but his cause of death was deferred pending toxicology results.
The news was later confirmed by Carter's on-and-off fiancée, Melanie Martin, who shared the following statement to TMZ: "My fiancé Aaron Carter has passed away. I love Aaron with all my heart and it’s going to be a journey to raise a son without a father."
The couple shared a one-year-old son, Prince.
Carter - the younger brother of Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter - shot to fame in the 1990s following the release of his first self-titled debut pop album in 1997. He was just nine years old during the album's launch, and his single 'Crush on You' went on to reach the Top 10 in countries like the UK and Australia.
Three years later, he would release his second album, Aaron's Party (Come Get It), which would go on to sell three million copies in the United States alone and even reached number four in the US album charts - further propelling the young star into stardom and cementing himself as one of the biggest teen stars of the generation.
During the early years of his music career, he would join his older brother Nick on Backstreet Boys tours.
However, Carter eventually battled alcohol and drug addiction - checking into rehabilitation facilities multiple times throughout his life. In September 2022, the Los Angeles Times reported that he had checked into a rehab facility for a fifth time in order to try and regain custody of his son.
At the time, the couple had their son taken by authorities due to reported domestic violence and drug-use concerns. Carter insisted that his return to rehab was not court-mandated, but rather "to take care of aftercare".
Now, the results from his autopsy have finally been revealed, with TMZ reporting that Carter had died from drowning after taking alprazolam (known as Xanax) and inhaled compressed difluoroethane (often used in cans of compressed air). The report says he became "incapacitated while in the bathtub due to the effects" of the drugs and the huffing and, ultimately, he slipped under the water and drowned. Aaron's death is officially ruled accidental.
Martin told the outlet soon after the results came out: "The results of the autopsy are not closure for me. It claims death is by drowning but also adds he was wearing a t-shirt and necklace in the bathtub which doesn't make sense, why would he be in a bathtub with clothes on? I am still in shock and still miss Aaron every day. I don't understand the chain of events and this report only has us asking more questions."
Our thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to Carter's family, friends, and fans.