EXL: Backstreet Boy’s Nick Carter breaks down in tears on stage after his brother Aaron’s death
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Nick Carter began sobbing on the stage of the O2 in London on Sunday night after news that his brother Aaron had been found dead in a bathtub at his California home the day before.
The singer, 42, performed with his band the Backstreet Boys as part of their DNA World Tour, less than 24 hours after discovering the tragic news.
He got emotional while singing his verse on their hit Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely and couldn’t finish it.
Emotional: Nick Carter started sobbing on the O2 stage in London on Sunday night after news that his brother Aaron had passed away
His bandmates were seen hugging and supporting him onstage, while Nick was seen with tears in his eyes before paying tribute to Aaron.
“Tonight we have a heavy heart because we lost one of our relatives yesterday,” Kevin Richardson told fans.
He continued: “We just wanted to find a moment in our show to recognize him. He is part of our family and we thank you for all your love and support.”
Horrible: Aaron Carter, 34, was found dead on Saturday in his bathtub at his home in Lancaster, California
Earlier in the day, the Backstreet Boys opening act confirmed that the performance would go ahead after all.
KnowleDJ wrote on Instagram: “As far as I’m told the show is going on and I’ll be there tonight doing my set.
“But I suggest checking the official sites in case anything changes. Thank you for your patience and understanding and let’s all pray for Nick and his family.”
Brave: The singer, 42, performed with his band the Backstreet Boys as part of their DNA World Tour, less than 24 hours after discovering the tragic news
Support: His bandmates were seen hugging and supporting him onstage, while Nick was seen with tears in his eyes before paying tribute to Aaron
Hours earlier, Nick posted several throwback photos of them together, writing that his heart was broken despite their complicated relationship, adding that his love for Aaron never faded.
Nick went on to write that he had “held hope” that his brother would “one day want to walk a healthy path and eventually find the help he so desperately needed,” but added that although it was “easy is to blame someone or something for loss,” he wrote that “addiction and mental illness is the real villain here.”
Aaron, 34, was found dead Saturday in his bathtub at his home in Lancaster, California.
Neighbors said a woman, presumably the nanny, opened the door and yelled, “He’s dead, he’s dead.” In a 911 recording obtained by TMZ, the operator states that ambulances are needed at a home for a ‘woman’s scream’ and that there was a reference to ‘in the bath’.
Representatives of Carter’s family later confirmed the singer’s death. His cause of death has not been released. Carter’s fiancé Melinda Martin, seen in tears outside his home, asked for privacy as the family grieves.
The singer’s death comes just a week after he tweeted that he had put his nearly $800,000 home up for sale, adding that he’s “ready for a new chapter.”
Aaron and Nick had a tumultuous relationship in the years before the singer’s death, but Nick put it aside for a heartfelt tribute on Sunday over the tragic loss of his brother.
“My heart is broken today,” Nick wrote. “Although my brother and I have had a complicated relationship, my love for him has never faded. I’ve always held out hope that he would somehow find a healthy path and eventually find the help he so desperately needed.”
Tragic: Nick paid tribute to his younger brother Aaron on Sunday following news that Aaron was found dead in a bathtub at his California home the day before at age 34
He ended the touching message with, “I will miss my brother more than anyone will ever know. I love you, Chizz., now you get the chance to finally have some peace that you could never find here on earth… God, please take care of my little brother.’
He continued: “Sometimes we want to blame someone or something for a loss. But the truth is that addiction and mental illness are the real villain here.”
“I will miss my brother more than anyone will ever know. I love you, Chizz., now you get the chance to finally have some peace that you could never find here on earth… God, please take care of my little brother.’
Carter also has two sisters, including his twin sister, Angel, and Leslie, who died of a drug overdose in 2012 at the age of 25.
Heartbroken: He wrote that his heart was broken despite the brothers’ complicated relationship, adding that his love for Aaron never faded