Aaron Carter‘s former manager has shed some light on the singer’s “nightmare” relationship with haters on social media, weeks after the troubled pop musician was found dead at his Lancaster home earlier this month.
In an interview with Page Six published Friday, Carter’s former manager, Taylor Helgeson, said that cyberbullying “did a number” on the late singer.
“It was nonstop. It was so relentless,” he told Page Six.
Carter, who was open about his mental health struggles, shared in 2019 that he was diagnosed with multiple personality disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety and depression. And online detractors didn’t help his situation.
“I wouldn’t go as far as to blame that entirely [for Carter’s death], but I watched that break him down over a long period of time,” Helgeson added.
He told Page Six that the “I Want Candy” singer “could not seem to keep himself off” social media and often felt the need to fire back at his trolls.
The manager pointed to a specific instance where Carter was heckled onstage during a live performance. The “That’s How I Beat Shaq” musician kept the show going, seemingly unfazed. But when he left the event, Carter checked social media to read negative reactions, Helgeson said.
“A lot of days, he felt like he had something to prove,” he added. “He could just stand in this mess.”
Carter felt support and love from fans, but the hate “hurt him a lot.”
Helgeson, who previously told Page Six that the singer “looked extremely tired” before his death, also touched on the singer’s complex relationship with older brother and Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter.
The younger Carter intended to build bridges after his public feud with Nick, but wasn’t sure when.
“[Carter] said, ‘When the time is right, we will figure this out,’” Helgeson recalled.
While it’s unclear whether the brothers made amends before Aaron died, Nick paid tribute to his late sibling on Instagram and on tour with the Backstreet Boys.
“I will miss my brother more than anyone will ever know. I love you Chizz. Now you can finally have the peace you could never find here on earth…. I love you baby brother,” Nick wrote on Instagram on Nov. 6.