Nick Carter revealed he is utterly heartbroken by his little brother Aaron's shocking passing in a touching tribute the Backstreet Boys alum shared one day after the late pop star was found dead in his bathtub.
"Even though my brother and I have had a complicated relationship, my love for him has never ever faded," Nick captioned a series of sweet snapshots of himself and his sibling in their younger years.
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"I have always held onto the hope, that he would somehow, someday want to walk a healthy path and eventually find the help that he so desperately needed," he continued. "Sometimes we want to blame someone or something for a loss. But the truth is that addiction and mental illness is the real villain here."
"I will miss my brother more than anyone will ever know. I love you Chizz., now you get a chance to finally have some peace you could never find here on earth," he concluded, before adding, "God, Please take care of my baby brother."
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Although Aaron and Nick appeared to be closer as children and even toured together, the brothers had a rocky relationship for much of their adult lives. Nick filed a restraining order against him in 2019, claiming Aaron — who had struggled heavily with substance abuse and mental illness — had told him he'd been "harboring intentions" of murdering Nick's pregnant wife and unborn child.
Meanwhile, Aaron often ranted about his tense ties to his family, from accusing Nick of bullying him throughout his life to alleging his late sister had sexually assaulted him.
As OK! previously reported, police discovered the "I Want Candy" singer dead in his bathtub around 11 A.M. on Saturday, November 5.
Law enforcement and emergency vehicles were later photographed outside of his Lancaster home, which was cordoned off with caution tape. His cause of death is yet to be confirmed.
"We are extremely saddened and shocked to confirm the passing of Aaron Carter today," the 34-year-old's 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."
