Singer Aaron Carter has reportedly been found dead

TMZ is reporting that Aaron Carter—who rose to prominence as a child singing star and actor in the 1990s, known for lighthearted, goofy songs like “That’s How I Beat Shaq”—has died. Carter, who’d been open in the past about struggles with legal problems and substance use in his adulthood, was apparently found dead today by police in his California home. No word yet on cause of death; authorities were apparently notified via a 911 call at 11 o’clock this morning that a man had died at the residence. Carter was 34.

The brother of Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter, Carter released his first album when he was just nine years old, selling 1 million copies of Aaron Carter in 1997, and quickly establishing his status as a rising star at an extremely young age. His follow-up album, 2000's Aaron’s Party (Come And Get It), named for its lead-off single, performed even better, eventually reaching No. 4 on the US Billboard 200. From there, Carter (now 13) was an institution in the kids entertainment world, touring with his brother’s band and Britney Spears, appearing regularly on Nickelodeon, and releasing new albums in 2001 and 2002.

The latter of those albums, Another Earthquake, marked a declining point in Carter’s career: Although he’d continue to tour and act over the next several years—including appearing in a short-lived reality show, House Of Carters, with his brothers in 2006—his adulthood never saw Carter achieve the same professional success that he’d achieved as a child. He became an occasional staple of reality TV, appearing on Dancing With The Stars in 2009, and releasing occasional new music. In 2017, he appeared on an episode of The Doctors, addressing concerns brought on by a physically gaunt appearance and occasional brushes with the law; he was advised to enter a rehab facility due to his use of benzodiazepines and opiates for anxiety and sleep.

In 2018, Carter released his final album, Love, to mixed reviews. The next few years were mostly occupied, from a public point of view, with controversies, most notably feuds with his family; he accused two of his siblings, including Nick, of being abusive to him as a child. (Nick Carter later obtained a restraining order against his brother, claiming he’d expressed violent thoughts toward his wife.) Carter’s last major public appearances included a boxing match with former NBA player Lamar Odom, and a planned appearance in the Las Vegas musical revue Naked Boys Singing, which Carter was ultimately let go from, allegedly due to a refusal to be vaccinated for COVID-19.