Last week, Aaron Carter tragically passed away. The later singer was only 34 years old.

For years, Aaron displayed troubling behaviors. Messy public feuds, perceived cries for help, and even retraining orders defined his public image.

But tragedy besieged Aaron for years, taking various forms. Among them, the deaths of close family.

The former child pop star carried the weight of a lifetime of trauma.

An inside source spoke to People about many of the emotional burdens that Aaron Carter carried ahead of his death.

“Aaron never really dealt with a lot of trauma he had,” the insider grimly shared.

In 2012, his sister Leslie died of an overdose. Aaron’s father Robert died in 2017, allegedly from a heart attack.

“He was really torn up when Leslie died,” the source characterizes.

“But,” the insider described, “it was Bob’s death that really threw him.”

That may sound counterintuitive, considering the Carter family’s dynamic. But sometimes a lack of resolution can send someone over the edge.

“He had such a dysfunctional relationship with both parents,” the source acknowledged.

“But,” the insider observed, “something about losing his dad really threw him.”

The source then shared that “That’s when I saw him really start to spiral.”

“He had gotten in trouble before,” the insider then acknowledged.

“But,” the source detailed, “he went from a partier to something a lot more dark then.”

The insider expressed: “It was like he gave up.”

Aaron Carter battled substance abuse issues. More than once, he ran into legal trouble as a result.

Just days before his passing, authorities pulled him over on suspicion that he was driving under the influence. However, police ruled out a DUI after conducting a field sobriety test.

Ultimately, he did not have a strong support system — in part, because he spent years alienating people who loved him.

“He had no one he could trust, and no one trusted him,” the insider explained.

“He was spiraling out of control,” the source reported, “and he knew it.”

The insider expressed: “It was sad to watch. It was actually painful to see him make the choices he made.”

Many Millennials grew up admiring the Backstreet Boys, Nick Carter in particular, and then his brother, Aaron. For some, Aaron seemed more “accessible” as the younger brother, closer in age to many fans.

But fame, especially from a dysfunctional (to put it mildly) family, can exact a horrible toll upon the mind.

Aaron spent years driving away many fans with alarming public statements and worrisome behavior. But we can also keep in mind that he suffered more than anyone could see during his life.

Aaron Carter Burdened by Trauma, Tragedy Before Death was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip .