Over the weekend, the music world was rocked by the loss of singer-turned-rapper Aaron Carter.
As reported by TMZ, the body of the 34-year-old star was found "in his bathtub" by his housesitter on Saturday at his home in Lancaster, California. An investigation into Carter's death is now underway.
Carter - the younger brother of Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter - was propelled into fame from an early age following the release of his first self-titled studio album in 1997. At the time, he was just nine years old.
He went on to release four more studio albums over the next 20 years - selling over 10 million records worldwide.
His fame also resulted in Carter landing roles on shows such as Lizzie McGuire, Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, Dancing With The Stars, and 7th Heaven.
For younger readers, to put Carter's legacy and impact in pop culture into context, his dedicated fans are currently hailing him as "the original Justin Bieber" in social media tributes.
However, as Carter's young career progressed, he found himself repeatedly hitting the headlines for tumultuous reasons. Whether it was his battles with addiction, his stints in rehab, legal troubles, or relationship struggles. Carter would often speak out on social media or in interviews about his personal battles.
For example, back in 2017 - less than five years ago - Carter sat down with Us Weekly, where he admitted he did not think he would not survive past 30.
"I thought I would die by 30,” Carter told the publication. "Even when I was 13, 14, I thought, 'Oh, my God. I’m going to die.'"
During the interview, the 'Crush on You' singer got candid about his struggles, saying: "I dealt with a lot of trauma, a lot of loss, a lot of loneliness. I just felt like I needed to get away."
Back in 2012, Aaron lost his older sister, Leslie Carter.
Leslie was also a famed singer, who was perhaps best known for her single Like Wow!' and for band The Other Half.
Sadly, Leslie passed away in 2012 at age 25 shortly after complaining about feeling ill. Her death was later attributed to a drug overdose.
During the interview with Us Weekly, Aaron revealed that he battled post-traumatic stress disorder due to his past relationships and would restrict himself from eating a healthy diet. "I go through a lot of pain, and my pain is reflected in my music," he said.
Nevertheless, after turning 30, he told the publication that he was determined to fight. "My goal is to be the phoenix that rises from the ashes," he said, adding: "It’s time to act like a frickin’ adult. I have new aspirations."
Even in a tweet shared just days before his death, Carter revealed plans to sell the home he was eventually found dead in so that he could focus on his family elsewhere.
"Selling my 2nd home. Real estate has been super good to me," Carter tweeted on October 29.
The singer then revealed that he was "ready for a new chapter" in his third home, in which, he planned on "staying to make a beautiful life for my family."
"This year has been super tough but I’ve learned so much. Thanks for the support everyone," Carter wrote.
In the post, Carter included a link to the Zillow page advertising the 7-bedroom Lancaster property, with a listed price of $799,900.
Our thoughts continue to go out to Carter's family, friends, and fans at this time.
