Back in November, singer and rapper Aaron Carter tragically died. For the weeks to follow, close friends and family shared kind words about the musicians and their latest moments with him. His brother, Nick Carter, even took to Instagram to upload a touching message to Aaron’s fans.
“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….I love you, baby brother,” wrote Nick.
Now, nearly six months late, Variety has obtained a document that revealed the pop star’s cause of death. According to the outlet, “Aaron Carter’s death was caused by drowning and the effects of alprazolam, a generic form of Xanax, and inhaling difluoroethane (an ingredient used in cans of compressed air).”
The entertainer was found unresponsive at home, and his death was ruled an accident by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner’s office.
A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that alprazolam was an ingredient used in cans of compressed air. However, it is difluoroethane that is an ingredient used in cans of compressed air. This story has been edited for accuracy.
