Aaron Carter and his Backstreet Boys brother Nick are currently embroiled in a public battle, which recently saw Nick and Aaron’s twin sister Angel file for a restraining order.
On September 18, Nick released a statement that they were “required to seek a restraining order” after he claimed Aaron had reportedly confessed that he “harbors thoughts and intentions of killing my pregnant wife and unborn child”.
Aaron released his own statement denying Nick’s claims and said, “I have never had thoughts of causing anyone pain, let alone taking anyone’s life. It was hurtful for me to read those things because if these people really knew me, they would have never used that as a tactic to control me.”
“What's actually more hurtful though, is knowing how effected [sic] my innocent nieces and nephews will be by choices the adults around them have made. With that in mind, I ask everyone to please leave me alone and let the legal system do their thing,” he continued.
Aaron’s social media presence has since become an erratic one, with the star accusing his brother of raping a 91 year old woman as well as speaking publicly to Melissa Schuman - a woman who accused the former Backstreet Boys member of raping her in 2002.
Nick denied Schuman’s claims, which she first revealed in a lengthy blog post, and the case was dropped by the LA County District Attorney’s Office after it was revealed that the “statute of limitations expired in 2013.”
TMZ reported that in Nick’s appeal for a restraining order against his brother, Nick mentioned that he believed his brother was in possession of multiple firearms.
Aaron also claimed in a later interview with TMZ that the police had arrived at his home to enact a 5150 - which is defined as a “California law code for the temporary, involuntary psychiatric commitment of individuals who present a danger to themselves or others due to signs of mental illness” - though Aaron said he had flagged his arsenal of guns to them and was not held.
How did the Carter family get to be so at odds with each other?
The early years
Aaron has alleged that he suffered abuse at the hands of his brother Nick in the early Noughties, sharing two instances on social media - a moment at the 2001 Nickolodeon Kids Choice Awards when he was 13 years old and another in 2006 on their reality TV show House of Carters.
The first depicts Aaron accepting an award, as Nick stands off to the side and then aggressively smashes a pie in his face. Aaron claimed in one tweet that Nick “broke my nose with a pie at the kids choice awards during my acceptance speech”.
The second is an intense moment from E! reality television show House of Carters, where Nick and Aaron are seen fighting over how loud Aaron is playing his music. After Aaron asks his brother not to “spit in my face”, Nick is seen pushing Aaron by the throat into another room before shoving him inside once again and closing the door behind him.
After that, the camera cuts to footage of family members running in to presumably stop the fight and then Aaron is seen screaming at his brother, “You are not a good person and everybody sees it, Nick.”
Aaron reshared the video on Twitter on September 18 this year and wrote, “LEAVE ME ALONE. FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. IM BEGGING YOU. PLEASE. 🤝 I haven’t even seen you guys and Nick you bullied me my whole life. And tortured me as a child. And everyone knows it. IT’S BEEN PUBLIC. and now you’re scared of the truth.”
2011 - Aaron enters rehab
Aaron’s manager Johnny Wright revealed to E! News that the teen icon had been admitted to rehab of his own free will. Wright said at the time that Aaron wanted to “restart his career” and continued, “He has chosen to enter a facility where he feels he will get the guidance and cleansing he needs that will help him on the music journey he's about to take.”
It was also reported that Nick was “very supportive” of Aaron’s decision and was “reportedly visiting Aaron at the facility” amidst rehearsals for a NKOTBSB tour - a collaboration between New Kids on the Block and the Backstreet Boys.
Aaron tweeted at the time, “I had a great day with my brother @NickCarter he always comes to bat for me when others believe someone else over me!”
In an interview with INSIDER, Aaron revealed years later that he credited Nick with saving his life. He said, “My brother saved my life because he put me in rehab. Put me in Betty Ford center. Rescued me. Saved me. I was going through a really hard time, and I had nothing going on in my life, and my brother knew that I needed him. And was there, supporting me.”
Calling Nick “the most amazing man”, he said, “He pushed me harder than anyone has ever pushed me and he was like a dad to me.”
In September 2019, Aaron added that Nick had paid for his “first rehab” at Betty Ford. He also criticised Nick in the same tweet and said, “[He] shut the door in his own sister’s face Leslie when she begged HIM for rehab and she overdosed a month later.”
2012 - The funeral of Leslie Carter
Nick and Aaron’s 25 year old sister Leslie (above, second from the left) passed away of a drug overdose in 2012, after which a family funeral was held. At the time, Aaron attended the mother of one’s funeral while Nick did not.
Nick, who was also performing during Leslie’s funeral according to E! News, told the outlet, “I wanted to be at my sister's funeral, but my family has always had a complicated dynamic. I love my family. I want to thank everyone for all of their compassion and support that I have received during this most difficult time.”
Nick later said to Dr. Phil in 2013, “I started to get blamed by the rest of the family. They were blaming me for [Leslie’s] death. I felt it was unfair, especially with all the things I have done and continue to do for them.”
In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Aaron said that he had been saving up to pay for his sister to go to rehab just days earlier. He said, “I wasn’t really making that much money. Fortunately, I had just hit my bonus. I got $10,000 the week before Leslie died, and I actually had reached out to her two weeks before that and said, ‘I’m going to get you the money to go to rehab.’ She wanted it.”
It was also speculated that Nick had not been told the funeral was happening and Aaron said in a statement at the time, “It was a beautiful service in memory of our sister Leslie. I wish Nick could have been there, but he had other obligations. Anything stating Nick was uninformed of the funeral is untrue."
Aaron eulogised his sister at her funeral. Although Nick was unable to attend, he did say that he was “dedicating the rest of my tour to my sister” - especially a song to his sister at a 2012 performance at Irving Plaza. He played an acoustic version of Falling Down for the crowd and said, “I‘ve never done this before and I never thought I’d ever have to, but I’d like to dedicate this song to my sister.”
Earlier this year on September 18, Aaron tweeted that he was “the only good one to my family” and said, “I went to my sisters wedding and our sisters funeral [Nick] didn’t.”
July 2017 - Nick reaches out to Aaron on Twitter
In July 2017, Aaron was arrested for an alleged DUI and drug possession, with a Habersham County sheriff telling the Associated Press he was “driving all over the road” and was seen behind the wheel. Aaron’s attorney claimed at the time that Aaron had a medical marijuana license for anxiety and TMZ claimed that Aaron “refused to submit to testing for a suspected DUI”. The singer, who claimed he was targeted because he was a celebrity, was later released on bond.
In response to the news, Nick tweeted, “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,” he continued.
Aaron later said in a statement via his rep, “If my own blood (Nick) 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.”
Nick did not respond, however Nick’s wife Lauren Kitt Carter did. Lauren tweeted, “Hey @aaroncarter have [your girlfriend at the time Madison] text me your new number since you changed it again!”
Nick then retweeted Lauren’s message, according to People. Aaron disputed Lauren’s statement, with Aaron’s representative Jonathan Ward telling the publication, “Nick and Lauren have his number – it hasn’t changed. They last spoke on July 6. He doesn’t feel it was proper, what happened. You don’t reach out through Twitter.”
November 2017 - Nick Carter is accused of rape by Dream singer Melissa Schuman
In a 2017 blog post, Dream singer Melissa Schuman alleged that Nick had raped her when she was 18 years old in 2002. Schuman was starring in a film called The Hollow alongside Nick at the time and told the Daily Beast that she had to continue working with him afterwards, saying that she “did everything I could within my power to protect myself.”
Schuman, whose case Aaron has repeatedly brought up on Twitter in recent weeks, did not press charges at the time and said in her post that she “didn’t have the money, the clout or access to an attorney who was powerful enough to stand up against my abuser’s legal counsel”.
In response to her allegations, Nick told People, “I am shocked and saddened by Ms. Schuman’s accusations. Melissa never expressed to me while we were together or at any time since that anything we did was not consensual. We went on to record a song and perform together, and I was always respectful and supportive of Melissa both personally and professionally.”
He continued, “This is the first that I am hearing about these accusations, nearly two decades later. It is contrary to my nature and everything I hold dear to intentionally cause someone discomfort or harm.”
February 2018 - Nick congratulates Aaron on his new album
In 2018, Aaron returned to music with his fifth album Love following a 16 year hiatus and his previous 2002 album Another Earthquake. The album received lukewarm reviews, though Nick was wholly supportive and tweeted out in support of Aaron on the same day the album was released.
Nick wrote, “Congratulations to my brother for coming out with his new album #love @aaroncarter.”
He also shared a Spotify link to listen to the album.
February 2018 - Melissa Schuman files police report against Nick
Schuman revealed in an interview with the Daily Beast that she had retrospectively filed a police report against Nick, saying, “I wanted to do that for my 18-year-old self. My 18-year-old self wanted to do that when it happened and didn’t feel like it was an option. I didn’t feel strong enough, I didn’t feel safe enough to do it then.”
Although the police report was filed in February, the Daily Beast article was only published in September the same year.
September 2018 - Rape charges dropped against Nick
The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office announced last September that due to the statute of limitations, Schuman’s case would not be reviewed any further. In a statement released by People, a spokesperson for the office said, “The reporting party alleged that in 2003, she was the victim of a sexual assault perpetrated by the suspect in his apartment. The victim was 18 years old at the time of the assault.
“The statute of limitations expired in 2013,” the spokesperson continued, “Therefore an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the evidence is not warranted and the matter is declined.”
Michale Holtz, Nick’s attorney, said at the time, “Nick Carter was cleared today when the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office rejected the charges against him. Nick has denied these allegations ever since he first learned of them last year, and was confident the District Attorney would conclude that there was no basis to pursue charges against him.”
“He is happy to put this matter behind him,” he finished.
Schuman said of the outcome, “My family and I were well aware of the likelihood that my case was not prosecutable due to the statute of limitations in California regarding rape, which was modified in 2016. It is unfortunate that the law isn’t fully retroactive to accommodate assaults that have happened in the past, regardless of how far back.”
“It gives me great solace to know that my testimony is fully documented, investigated and sealed for the future if needed by law enforcement. I gave my statement, as did the other witnesses. Speaking out was the best thing I could have ever done for myself and I hope it inspires others to do the same if it feels right for them,” she continued.
February, 2019 - Aaron congratulates Nick on the Backstreet Boys’ comeback
After a highly anticipated reunion, the Backstreet Boys soared to the top of the charts with a new album titled DNA in February 2019. Aaron congratulated not just Nick, but also the entire Backstreet Boys group on Twitter.
He wrote, “So proud of the guys and going number 1 I can’t tell you how happy this makes me for my brother and all the guys who were like brothers to me growing up love you guys.”
Aaron also tagged the rest of the group, including Kevin Richardson, AJ McLean, Brian Littrell and Howie Dorough.
September 18, 2019 - Nick and Angel Carter reveal they sought a restraining order against Aaron
Following reports that Nick and Angel had filed a restraining order against their brother, Nick published a Notes app statement confirming the news. He wrote, “After careful consideration, my sister Angel and I regret that we were required to seek a restraining order against our brother Aaron today.”
“In light of Aaron’s increasingly alarming behaviour and his recent confession 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,” he continued. “We love our brother and truly hope he gets the proper treatment he needs before any harm comes to himself or anyone else.”
TMZ claimed that they had obtained documents about the filing, which reveal that Aaron had reportedly admitted to his twin sister Angel that he had been “diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar 2 years ago” in August 2019 text messages. After Angel then allegedly asked “if he heard voices”, Aaron reportedly told his sister, “I have thoughts of killing babies.”
The outlet continues that Angel is said to have asked if Aaron thought of killing anybody else, to which Aaron responded, “I think about killing Lauren Kitt [Nick’s pregnant wife].”
Lina Valentina, Aaron’s former girlfriend, was involved in the conversation at the time and is said to have continued, “Angel, how do you think I feel with [Aaron] sleeping with a sword next to him?”
Aaron is said to have responded, “Shut up Lina, you are next on my list.”
Following the reported messages, Angel then admitted that she had called the authorities to conduct a welfare check on Aaron Carter.
TMZ reported that Nick explained his rationale behind the restraining order in the filing, claiming that he was worried Aaron would heed the “voices in his head and cause harm to my family”. Nick added that he knew Aaron has several fire arms, which he keeps “readily available”.
Prior to the filing, Aaron was seen buying guns in early September and reportedly bought “a handgun and a rifle, plus 300 rounds of hollow tip bullets” according to TMZ. The outlet also continued that Aaron had inherited additional weapons following the death of his father and had obtained his gun license “less than two weeks ago”, after which he bought “a 9mm handgun and 2 assault rifles”.
Aaron told TMZ on camera that after police arrived at his home for a 5150, that he was “gonna bring my 9 millimetre [gun] down” but decided against it after he realised it was the cops at his door. He also said that he told the police officers, “Just so you know, I have multiple firearms loaded with one in the chamber around the house, and [the officers said], ‘That’s your right.’”
After being pressed by TMZ whether Aaron had disclosed he was bipolar when buying the guns, Aaron said, “What I’m telling you guys is look at the clip.”
It is not known what clip he was referring to. When asked if Aaron would forfeit his firearms “while you deal with your medical issues right now,'' the singer responded, “Things are not going to go off centre and there are no bad things that are going to happen.”
According to TMZ, Aaron attempted to purchase a gun in 2017. A manager at the Florida gun shop he attempted to buy it from revealed the singer was “automatically denied after his background check got flagged”. The manager characterised Aaron as “unhinged” at the time.
September 18, 2019 - Aaron is served with a restraining order
Aaron took to social media to reveal he was officially served with a restraining order. He tweeted, “So my brother just got a [sic] restraining order against me. And I was just served lol.”
He continued, “Take care. @nickcarter we’re done for life.”
Aaron also continued that he hadn’t seen his brother in “four years” and that he didn’t intend to see him again. Aaron refuted Nick’s earlier statement, saying, “I am astounded at the accusations being made against me and I do not wish harm to anyone, especially my family.”
The restraining order is a temporary one according to TMZ, which dictates that Aaron “has to stay at least 100 feet away from Nick, Nick's wife, their kids and other family members, specifically their residence in Las Vegas.” A hearing for a permanent restraining order is believed to be taking place later this year.
September 18, 2019 - Aaron accuses his brother of rape and brings up Paris Hilton
Following the restraining order, Aaron began to bring up his brother’s previous rape accusations as well as a 2004 report that Paris Hilton had allegedly been hit by her then-boyfriend Nick.
According to a New York Post article at the time, Hilton was pictured with a swollen lip and bruises on her arms and with a source claiming that Hilton had told them Nick had beaten her following a night out. At the time, Hilton’s rep declined to comment but Nick’s lawyer Marty Singer denied the allegations, claiming, “Even though they broke up, they spent Monday night together, and Paris left Nick’s house Tuesday morning happy.”
Aaron tweeted, “Anybody who knows me knows I wouldn’t hurt a fly I’ve never been accused of rape I’ve never been accused of beating @ParisHilton how am I the violent one.”
He then speculated that there had been a cover up and continued, “I have never been accused of rape mutiple times I wasn’t accused of beating of @parishilton who’s VIOLENT? #Coverup #CrazyLikeAFox”
Following that, he also claimed that Nick was “mad I spoke to @MelissaSchuman”, a woman who accused Nick of rape previously.
He also tweeted at Rose McGowan and said he was “here for these women”, claiming that he was “using my platform to help these women feel #brave”.
September 19 - Aaron alleges he was sexually abused by Leslie and abused by Nick
Aaron took to Twitter to claim that his late sister, Leslie, had sexually abused him between the ages of 10 and 13 years old when she “wasn’t on her medications” for her bipolar disorder. He also claimed that he had been sexually abused by two unnamed back up dancers, and then physically abused by Nick his “whole life”.
His tweets read in full, “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…”
“my sister raped me from the age of 10 to 13 years old when she wasn’t on her medications and I was absused [sic] not only sexually by her but by my first two back up dancers when I was 8 years old. And my brother abused me my whole life,” he finished.
September 20, 2019 - Angel is granted a restraining order from Aaron
According to TMZ, Angel was granted a restraining order which “requires Aaron to stay 100 yards away from Angel and her family”. The outlet, which claimed it had obtained documents relevant to the case, added that the order banned Aaron from making “any social media posts regarding them that include threats or brandishing of weapons”.
The documents also revealed that Angel had claimed Aaron had threatened to send people to attack her, with her claiming he said, “I have people that would come and harm you.”
She also added that in the same FaceTime conversation in which Aaron reportedly made a “killing babies” comment, she alleged he had “admitted to torturing a turtle by lighting it on fire when he was a child” and that he said he felt “no emotion”.
September 22, 2019 - Aaron reveals that his guns have been taken away from him
Aaron tweeted, “My twin sister and my brother teamed up and got my guns taken away from me. Until the EPO AND TRO are dismissed. Then I get my guns back.”
He also added that he felt his “safety is at risk” and that there were “falsified claims” against him.
September 22, 2019 - Aaron claims Nick ‘attacked’ him and Paris Hilton came to his aid
Aaron shared a screengrab of a Backstreet Boys fan who tweeted to Nick that the “police have been notified” and continued that the fans “have your back”. Aaron tagged several accounts, including the FBI, CNN, Nick’s accusers Melissa Schuman, Kaya Jones, Ashley Repp and Nick’s former girlfriend Willa Ford and called on them to “speak up please”.
He also appealed to Paris Hilton, saying, “@ParisHilton speak up please you were there and pulled him off of me when he attacked me that morning!!! And tried to kill me. Help me”
Another tweet he sent that day read, “I’m so scared that something is going to happen to me. I endured so much abuse from nick that I don’t know what he’s capable of. If something happens. I let god lead the way and he is with me.”
September 23, 2019 - Aaron releases long statement about his welfare and asks people to leave him alone
On Twitter, Aaron asked his followers to “Please READ” a long Notes app statement published to his account. In it, he thanked those who had expressed “concern” for his well being and addressed his turbulent relationship with his family.
He wrote, “For as long as I can remember, I’ve chased unconditional love and hoped for true stability in my family. I’ve spent most of my adult life seeking validation from these same people. I started to get a chip on my shoulder when I kept coming up short on something that doesn’t cost a thing.”
“What has transpired recently does not represent my true wants and needs,” he said, perhaps referencing the restraining orders. “I’ve been fighting fire with fire… I have never had any thoughts of causing anyone pain, let alone taking anyone’s life. It was hurtful for me to read those things because if these people really knew me, they would never have used that as a tactic to control me.”
“What’s actually more hurtful though, is knowing how [affected] my innocent nieces and nephews will be by choices the adults around them have made. With that in mind, I ask everyone to please leave me alone and let the legal system do their thing,” he finished.
September 24, 2019 - Aaron alleges that Nick raped a 91 year old woman
In an Instagram post published on September 24, Aaron reshared a video clip of the 2006 House of Carters incident. In the caption, he wrote an open letter to the FBI (who he tagged four times) and claimed that Nick had “raped Mildred”; a 91 year old woman that their mother was reportedly looking after in hospice care.
Aaron wrote, “Hey @fbi my brother raped Mildred and told me in confidence in his pick up truck she was 91 years old and my brother told me he covered her mouth so no one could hear her scream. Put me on a polygraph machine please @fbi my mother knows she was taking care of two elderly women who were on hospice Mildred and opal who my mother was keeping alive.”
“@fbi what are you gonna do about that!? NOTHING! ? I’m REPORTING A RAPE FROM NICK ON SN ELDERLY WOMEN WHO WAS DYING AND WAS 91 that he raped. Strap nick up to a polygraph machine and a really good one please,” he wrote.
September 25, 2019 - Aaron reveals he has sold his firearms and is seeking help
Aaron was interviewed by TMZ while out in California, regarding his siblings’ restraining orders and concerns about his gun ownership. In the video, he explained that he didn’t “want to speak about my family anymore” and said, “At this point, I’ve done all I can do.”
He also questioned why his brother would get a restraining order against him “a month and a half after he found out that I supposedly wanted to kill [his child and wife]”, asking, “Why would you wait that long though, if that’s how you truly felt? You waited a month and a half to do that.”
Aaron continued to allege that his brother had abused him, saying, “I don’t even speak to Nick and everybody knows that. The abuse that I’ve endured is apparent.”
He added that he had been talking to various outlets including MTV, WE tv and more about his story, continuing that he was working with a “legitimate psychiatrist” as well as his general practitioner to get better. He revealed that he had “already tapered off xanax for five days”.
Finally, he presented TMZ with deeds of sale for three of his guns - explaining that he had “sold all my guns yesterday”. He also added that he had surrendered two of his guns to a police station, which he said was required by the TRO (temporary restraining order) set in place.
October 16, 2019 - Hearing for permanent restraining order
According to TMZ, a hearing for a permanent restraining order has been set for October 16.
