Heavy/Getty A DWTS alum's cause of death is still pending.
Friends and some family members of “Dancing With the Stars” alum Aaron Carter, 34, are becoming increasingly concerned about his death. The entertainer was found dead inside a bathtub in his home in November 2022, according to TMZ, and his cause of death is still not 100% clear.
Carter’s cause of death is listed as “deferred” by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s office as of March 10, 2023. The case status is “pending additional investigation.”
In the time since Carter’s death, his fiancee, Melanie Martin, and his mother, Jane Schneck (formerly Jane Carter), have spoken out about the circumstances surrounding Carter’s death and they have urged police to take a deeper look into what happened.
Here’s what you need to know:
Friends of Aaron Carter Say He Was ‘Paranoid’ Before His Death
Carter’s friends Morgan Matthews and Bryan Cassidy spoke with Page Six about how they are feeling in the aftermath of Carter’s sudden death — and why they both feel that there’s more to the story.
“He would always be paranoid about people being after him or [that] somebody is after him,” Cassidy told the outlet. “[How Aaron’s body was found] gave me suspicion too because I was like, ‘Wait a minute, was he paranoid or was he not?’ I don’t want to point fingers, but it just doesn’t add up,” he added.
Matthews echoed those feelings, telling Page Six that he recalled Carter telling him that there were “people after” him and saying things like, “I need help, I need to get out of this town.”
Cassidy and Matthews’ comments come just days after Carter’s mom posted gruesome photos from the scene of Carter’s death.
“[The police] never investigated it as a possible crime scene because of his addiction past,” Schneck captioned a Facebook post on March 1, 2023.
“Look at the photos. They were not taken by the police. But they allowed people to go in and out.although a lot of potential homicide information was there for years,” wrote. She also said that her son had received “death threats” when he was alive.
Heavy previously reached out to Schneck for comment and didn’t hear back.
Some People Close to Aaron Carter Believe His Death Was Drug-Related
After the medical examiner told Carter’s family that there wasn’t any water found in his lungs, they knew that he didn’t die from drowning in the tub. Instead, they’re wondering if he overdosed. Martin and Schneck talked to TMZ about Carter’s death, and seem convinced that it had to do with drugs — and maybe even a bad drug deal. A toxicology report is still pending.
Carter previously admitted to drug use and had gone to rehab a handful of times. Back in 2011, E! News confirmed that Carter had checked into rehab to “treat addiction issues.” The “I Want Candy” singer had been “struggling” at the time and people close to him were glad to see him getting help. “He was struggling recently and needed this,” one source told the outlet.
About six years later, Carter was back in a rehab program. “Aaron has decided to enter a facility to improve his health and work on his overall wellness. He is going to do this privately and focus all his attention on being the best person and performer possible. He is grateful for the support and love from his fans and looks forward to coming back stronger than ever before,” his rep told People magazine in September 2017.
“Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me,” Carter tweeted at the time.
Two years later, Carter opened up about his huffing addiction on an episode of Dr. Phil. “It’s something that I’ve kept secret from the whole world until now,” he said.
READ NEXT: DWTS Pro’s Ex-Husband Praises New Girlfriend Months After Divorce