Hilary Duff has branded an unofficial memoir about Aaron Carter’s life a “money grab”.
Carter’s death was confirmed on November 5 after Los Angeles police officers found his body at his home in Lancaster, California.
The family of the 34-year-old star, who was the younger brother of Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter, are now investigating the cause of his death.
In light of his passing, a posthumous memoir titled Aaron Carter: An Incomplete Story of an Incomplete Life has been released.
In the book, it is claimed that Duff and the Candy singer, who dated on and off from 2000 to 2003, had lost their virginity to one another.
An excerpt from the book, which was published in the New York Post, reads: “Hilary and I lost our virginity to each other at a hotel… in LA.
“I think it was her birthday, maybe her 13th [September 28, 2000], but I don’t remember. Her friends walked in, and we just yelled at them to get out.”
Following the release of the excerpt, Duff, now 35, branded the book a “money grab” and “unverified click-bait”.
She told MailOnline: “It’s really sad that within a week of Aaron’s death, there’s a publisher that seems to be recklessly pushing a book out to capitalise on this tragedy without taking appropriate time or care to fact check the validity of his work.
“To water down Aaron’s life story to what seems to be unverified click-bait for profit is disgusting.
“In no way do I condone shedding any light on what is so obviously an uninformed, heartless, money grab.”
Following confirmation of Carter’s death, Duff, who starred in teen sitcom Lizzie McGuire, paid tribute to him on Instagram.
She wrote: “For Aaron - I’m deeply sorry that life was so hard for you and that you had to struggle in front of the whole world.
“You had a charm that was absolutely effervescent… boy did my teenage self love you deeply. Sending love to your family at this time. Rest easy.”
Carter released four solo albums as a child, his 1997 self-titled debut selling more than one million copies worldwide.
His fame led him to open for his brother’s boyband Backstreet Boys that same year. Three more LPs followed, including Aaron’s Party (Come Get It) - which sold three million units in the US alone in 2000.
His later career included releases of an EP and several compilations as well as an appearance on the US reality show Dancing with the Stars. All the while, his personal life was beset with problems as well as high-profile feuds with members of his family.
Carter had a history of drug offences and went to rehab on a number of occasions as his career progressed. He transitioned from pop into rap music and procured a number of face tattoos as he distanced himself from his child star image.
In later years, his feuds with Nick became more intense - and he reportedly accused his older brother of putting him under a conservatorship scheme, similar to the one Britney Spears famously battled against. His brother would reportedly later take out a restraining order.
