Hilary Duff paid tribute to her late ex-boyfriend Aaron Carter during a concert in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Sunday. Duff, who is nearing her 39th birthday, wore a vintage Aaron Carter T-shirt while performing at the TD Pavilion.
Carter, a former child star, died in November 2022 at the age of 34. He was found to have accidentally drowned in his bathtub after inhaling difluoroethane and taking alprazolam. His ashes were interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.
Carter, who left behind an estate valued at $500,000, is survived by his four-year-old son, Princeton 'Prince' Lyric Carter. His former fiancée, Melanie Martin, is reportedly suing his dentist for wrongful death.
The Carter family has experienced multiple tragedies. His sister Leslie died in 2012 and his sister Bobbie Jean in 2023, both from drug overdoses. His surviving siblings are his twin sister Angel Conrad and older brother Nick Carter.
Duff spoke about her continued friendship with Aaron's sister, Angel, on the "Las Culturistas" podcast on April 1. "I'm friends with Aaron Carter's sister still, Angel," Duff revealed. "Our kids go to the same school. She's a lovely literal angel of a person. We're very close. We talk about Aaron often."
Duff also shared an anecdote about connecting with Carter through a psychic. She recounted a phone session where the psychic mentioned someone named Aaron appearing, leading Duff to ask if it was Aaron Carter. The psychic was reportedly surprised by his presence, and Duff explained he was her childhood boyfriend. The psychic then recognized Duff and mentioned that Carter's song "So Yesterday" helped her through a breakup.
Following Carter's death, Duff shared a message on Instagram expressing her condolences. "For Aaron, I'm deeply sorry that life was so hard for you and that you had to struggle in front of the whole world," she wrote. "You had a charm that was absolutely effervescent... Boy, did my teenage self love you deeply. Sending love to your family at this time. Rest easy."
Duff, who has three daughters with her husband Matthew Koma—Banks, Mae, and Townes—and a 14-year-old son, Luca Comrie, from a previous marriage, is currently on her 57-date "Lucky Me Tour." The tour, her first world tour in nearly 20 years, features opening acts La Roux, Lauren Spencer Smith, and Jade LeMac. The "Lizzie McGuire" star is also active as an influencer with various brand partnerships.