Aaron Carter’s cause of death has been revealed five months after his passing.
According to an autopsy report obtained by Variety, the troubled child star drowned after taking alprazolam, a generic form of Xanax, and inhaling difluoroethane, a chemical found in cans of compressed air. His death was determined to be accidental.
“Mr. Carter became incapacitated while in the bathtub due to the effects of inhaling compressed gas and taking alprazolam,” the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner’s report states, per Us Weekly. “This resulted in him becoming submerged under water, unable to breath [sic], and ultimately led to his death.”
Carter died Nov. 5, 2022, after being found unresponsive in a bathtub at his Lancaster, California home. He was 34.
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The musician rose to prominence as an opening act for brother Nick Carter’s group The Backstreet Boys in 1997, later recording the Y2K hits “Aaron’s Party” and “That’s How I Beat Shaq.”
Carter struggled with substance abuse and mental health issues in the years that followed.
In September 2019, he admitted to abusing inhalants, commonly called “huffing,” during an appearance on the syndicated daytime show “The Doctors.”
“It’s something that I’ve kept secret from the whole world until now,” Carter said at the time.
The musician is survived by his son Prince, 17 months, whom he shares with ex-fiancée Melanie Martin.
Need help with substance use disorder or mental health issues? In the U.S., call 800-662-HELP (4357) for the SAMHSA National Helpline.