The release of Aaron Carter’s memoir has been postponed out of respect for his grieving family.
The I Want Candy singer was found dead in his California home at the age of 34 on 5 November, and his publisher Ballast Books came under fire days later when it announced his book, now titled Aaron Carter: An Incomplete Story of an Incomplete Life, would be released on 15 November.
The late singer’s management called the book’s release a “heartless money grab”, while a representative recently told Page Six that Aaron had stopped working with journalist Andy Symonds on the book and wanted “nothing to do with” it.
Over the weekend, Scott Atherton, an attorney representing Ballast and Andy Symonds, issued a statement to multiple outlets announcing the memoir’s delay.
“Out of respect for the Carter family, my client has decided to defer the further release of the book at this time,” the statement reads. “Mr. Carter was not just a celebrity but also a father, a brother, a son, and a friend to many still grieving for him.
“Aaron Carter wanted his story told. And he wanted our client, Andy Symonds, a well-respected journalist and author, to tell that story with all its beauty and rawness. Public attention has recently focused on a small number of interactions during Mr. Carter’s early years. The more important story is about Mr. Carter’s life as a whole and what people can learn from his professional success, his personal struggles, and his tragic passing.”
They did not announce a new date for the memoir.
Aaron’s ex-girlfriend Hilary Duff slammed the “disgusting” book in a statement to the Daily Mail last week. She accused Ballast of “recklessly pushing a book out to capitalize on this tragedy” and publishing “unverified click-bait for profit”.
Aaron’s official cause of death has yet to be announced. According to TMZ, he did not leave behind a will.