By Wonderwall.com Editors
5:06pm PDT, Nov 2, 2023
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Aaron Carter's ex-fiancée, Melanie Martin, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against doctors and pharmacies on behalf of the former couple's 23-month-old son, Prince, in the wake of Aaron's 2022 death.
As reported by "Entertainment Tonight," the suit claims Walgreens and others prescribed hydrocodone, oxycodone and alprazolam to the pop star with "no medical justification."
The lawsuit also claims plaintiffs including Walgreens should have seen the drugs and quantities in which they were prescribed to Aaron as red flags, particularly given his history of psychiatric issues, according to TMZ, which was first to report the news.
Click through to find out why Aaron's ex may have a solid case, then read on for more details about the allegations …
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Melanie Martin's legal action on behalf of Aaron Carter's son comes almost exactly one year after the singer was found dead in a bathtub at his home in Lancaster, California, on Nov. 5. 2022. He was 34.
Months later, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruled his death was an accidental drowning that took place after he'd consumed alprazolam, or generic Xanax, and inhaled difluoroethane, a propellant used in cans of compressed air.
According to documents obtained by "Entertainment Tonight," the new lawsuit alleges Aaron's death was caused, in part, by inconsistent prescribing of medication. It also claims the pop star's "mental health and psychiatric condition" were both evident to his prescribers and to the pharmacies that filled his prescriptions.
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While it's unclear if the lawsuit explicitly cites Aaron Carter's history of illicit substance abuse, his prescribers would presumably have had access to records of his past use of medications that can be dangerous when combined.
The singer — who landed his first record deal at age 10 after opening for his brother Nick Carter's band the Backstreet Boys — went on to struggle publicly with drug abuse and addiction. He was arrested a number of times for drug-related offenses over the years. And in 2017, Aaron's weight and appearance sparked enough concern that he agreed to appear on the TV show "The Doctors." Tests he took for the show indicated he had what could be a dangerous combination of prescription meds in his system, including benzodiazepines and opiates, E! News reported.
At the time, it was recommended that he seek treatment for substance abuse, which he did. In a 2019 follow-up appearance on the show, Aaron revealed he'd been diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
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Though he claimed to have been sober for five years in September 2022, Aaron Carter's friends, family and even his fans were reportedly concerned about his health when he died that November.
"He looked terrible," the singer's longtime friend Gary Madatyan told "Entertainment Tonight." "He lost so much weight. He was not acting normal. His mind was not there. I heard he's taking a lot of medication, not specifically illegal drugs, but he was on a lot of medication."
Aaron's manager, Taylor Helgeson, meanwhile, told Page Six that Aaron seemed tired. "He just looked like he needed to be doing anything but working. He looked like he needed to be taking care of him," Taylor told the outlet.
His former fiancée, Melanie Martin, was also clearly worried. The week before Aaron died, she left a comment on a livestream video he was sharing in which he looked and sounded unwell. "You're going to die," she wrote, echoing the concerns of some fans who also said they were concerned for his wellbeing.
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The wrongful death lawsuit filed against Aaron Carter's doctors and pharmacies could have a strong shot in court, if recent legal action related to the opioid crisis is any indication.
In 2022 and 2023, multiple states reached massive settlements with drug retailers and drug makers — including Walgreens — after various attorneys general filed suit as a means of fighting back against the surge in opiate-related deaths.
In July 2023, PBS reported that states across the country had reached settlements of more than $50 billion combined.
Aaron's son's lawsuit seeks unspecified damages, according to TMZ.
