Once upon a time, the Carter brothers—Nick, from the Backstreet Boys, and Aaron, slayer of Shaq—were at the top of what could have been a minor musical dynasty. (They even had their own single-season reality show, the brass ring of American musical success.) But time makes increasingly, unrelentingly depressing fools of us all, especially where social media is concerned. And so we fast forward to 2019, when Nick Carter announced on Twitter this week that he had obtained a restraining order against his brother on alleged threats of violence against him and his pregnant wife, and Aaron Carter claimed that said order was meant only as retaliation against him for backing up women accusing his brother of rape. Which, as far as feuding celebrity musician brothers go, pretty much puts the Gallaghers and the Davies to shame.
The Carter family history has not been a happy one over the last decade and a a half; both men have discussed their issues with substance abuse over the years, and their sister, Leslie, died of what’s been reported as an overdose in 2012. This recent incident apparently kicked off when Aaron told his twin sister Angel that he’d been diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2017, and that he sometimes harbored thoughts of violence against his brother’s wife. (In the same conversation, his girlfriend alleged that he slept with a sword at his side.) On the other side, women have been accusing Nick Carter of sexual misconduct for the last few years; one of them, singer Melissa Schuman, apparently live-streamed with Aaron recently, although it’s not entirely clear where the video was streamed. And all of this, obviously, is playing out in the bizarre battlefield of social media, with both men loudly yelling that they just want the other to leave them alone, and re-tweeting supporters who seem as motivated by years-old musical rivalries as actual compassion or empathy.
Hey, would you like a terrifying paragraph? Here, have a terrifying paragraph, courtesy of Consequence Of Sound:
During an appearance on The Doctors last week, Aaron Carter revealed that he’d been diagnosed with personality disorder, schizophrenia, manic depression, and acute anxiety. Following the TV appearance, police reportedly showed up to Carter’s home with the intent of putting him in a psychiatric hold. Carter was ultimately able to convince officers and a mental evaluator that he posed no threat to anyone, including himself. Even so, police may confiscate his 500-plus firearms under California Red Flag laws.
At the moment, Nick Carter is leaving things with his declaration of the restraining order. Aaron Carter has continued to make posts throughout the day, invoking the #MeToo movement and accusing his brother of “Using the court system to shake me down.”