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The “Dancing With the Stars” family is mourning a tremendous loss after the sudden death of contestant and singer Aaron Carter, which was first reported on Saturday, November 5 by TMZ.
Carter competed on season 9 of the show alongside pro partner Karina Smirnoff, finishing in fifth place. Smirnoff and several other pros and alumni of the show have posted tributes to the 34-year-old.
Karina Smirnoff Said Her ‘Heart Is Broken’
On her Instagram, Smirnoff re-posted a video someone put on TikTok of herself and Carter performing their week 1 dance back in season 9, which was a cha cha to “Beggin'” by Madcon. It earned them the highest score of the night.
“RIP @aaroncarter, so young! It’s heartbreaking. You always made me smile. Rest in peace, friend. You will be missed,” wrote Smirnoff.
In her Instagram stories, she added, “My heart is broken.”
In the comments on Smirnoff’s post, fellow former pro dancer Kym Johnson Herjavec wrote, “So very sad, what a sweet soul. You were so amazing with him and created the best routines for people to see his bright light. RIP, Aaron.”
“Sending love to the family and friends and fans of #AaronCarter. Rest In Peace!” wrote Melissa Joan Hart on a post of a picture of herself with Carter. Hart competed on the same season of “Dancing With the Stars” as Carter. In the comments on Hart’s post, fellow “Dancing With the Stars” alum Danica McKellar left prayer hands.
Joey McIntyre Posted a Very Emotional Tribute
Fellow boy band member Joey McIntyre of New Kids on the Block, who competed on season 1 of the show, posted a lengthy video remembering Carter. He wrote on the post, “When I heard about Aaron Carter, I was hit and stopped in my tracks. When I don’t know quite how to share, I just go live and let it come up. I worked with him briefly a few years back and heard his new music he was working on. He was a real talent. And was the kind of talent that could have had a legit comeback with the right guidance cuz I believe he was that good. So sad for Nick and the whole family.”
In the video, McIntyre added:
The passing of Aaron Carter. You know when you just get a glimpse of someone. I didn’t know him that well, but we did a guest spot on this show called ‘Angie Tribeca.’ … It was a few years back and I got to sit with him and spend some time with him and one thing was incredibly clear and that is that he was a legitimate talent. He was loaded with talent and passion and drive. … I gotta be honest, normally with my experience, people always ask us, ‘What would you tell these kids?’ and just in a private way, I just tried to tell him what he had there, he had an opportunity — he had the kind of talent, with all his messiness, to turn around and to be seen for the beautiful talent that he was.
McIntyre added, “Of course, I’m lucky enough to know Nick, his brother Nick, over the years and Nick’s a sweetheart, so my heart just goes out to them and everybody involved.”
Nick Carter is the older brother of Aaron. He too is a “Dancing With the Stars” alum, finishing in second place on season 21. He posted a series of photos of himself with his younger brother to Instagram and wrote, “My heart is broken. Even though my brother and I have had a complicated relationship, my love for him has never ever faded. I have always held on to the hope that he would somehow, someday want to walk a healthy path and eventually find the help that he so desperately needed. Sometimes we want to blame someone or something for a loss, but the truth is that addiction and mental illness is the real villain here. 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. God, please take care of my baby brother.”
In the comments, Carter’s bandmate AJ McLean, who competed on season 29 of “Dancing With the Stars,” wrote, “Love you, bro. Always here for you.”
Lance Bass, a member of boy band NSync and a fellow “Dancing With the Stars” alum also posted a tribute:
It’s taken me a little while to gather my thoughts as the news about @aaroncarter is incredibly devastating. I wanted to share one of my first memories of Aaron: When I was around 17, the @nsync guys and I were staying at the same hotel as Aaron in Germany. He was around 9 years old at the time. I was in my hotel and kept hearing a little kid run up and down the hallways. I opened the door and saw Aaron sprinting around, banging on the guys’ hotel doors and pretending to throw up on people. He ran into my room and instantly we were buds. He quickly became the little brother to all of us and was known for being quirky, funny and always trying to make people laugh. As the years went by, I’ve seen Aaron hit so many highs and lows. Through witnessing Aaron’s struggles and having countless conversations with him, I’ve learned so much about addiction and mental health. It makes me so angry and sad to know that it got the best of him and unfortunately those who enabled him turned a blind eye. His good friends and his family did absolutely everything they could and this will forever be an incredible loss. I know Aaron is finally at peace and I’m sure he’s playing jokes on his loved ones that have passed. My prayers go out to @nickcarter @angelcharissma and family as they grieve this incredible loss. Will miss you.
During the Monday, November 7 broadcast, the show also acknowledged Carter’s death, with host Alfonso Ribeiro saying, “We want to take a moment to remember a star who competed on season nine.” Cohost Tyra Banks then said, “This past weekend, we lost Aaron Carter and the team here at ‘Dancing With the Stars’ recalls the energy and the fun that he brought to this show, to this ballroom, and we offer our sincere condolences to his family.”