‘I want nothing to do with this’: Aaron Carter tried to stop publisher from releasing 'unauthorized' memoir
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Before his death, Aaron Carter allegedly sought to dissuade his publisher from releasing an "unauthorized" memoir. A few excerpts from the book, 'Aaron Carter: An Incomplete Story of an Incomplete Life', which will be published posthumously on Tuesday, November 15, have been made available now.
"Aaron, in the midst of [working on the book], said, ‘I want nothing to do with this’ and stopped, so the fact that the publisher is saying it’s green-lit, it’s not,” his publicist told Page Six. "That goes against everything Aaron wants."
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In one part of the book, Carter reveals that he once spent the night at Michael Jackson’s home and allegedly found the pop icon at the foot of his bed in “tighty-whitey underwear.” The 'I Want Candy' singer also writes about his teen love affair with Hilary Duff and claims he took the 'Lizzie McGuire' star’s virginity when she was about 13 years old.
MEAWW reported that Duff, 35, called the memoir "disgusting" in a statement released on November 10. “It’s really sad that within a week of Aaron’s death, there’s a publisher that seems to be recklessly pushing a book out to capitalize on this tragedy without taking appropriate time or care to fact check the validity of his work.' She continued, “To water down Aaron’s life story to what seems to be unverified click-bait for profit is disgusting.” She added, "In no way do I condone shedding any light on what is so obviously an uninformed, heartless, money grab.”
(Photo by Alison Buck/Getty Images for Project Angel Food)
Page Six is informed by Carter's management group and publicists that they appreciate the 'How I Met Your Father' actress' comments. “In the few short days following our dear friends passing we have been trying to grieve and process while simultaneously having to deal with obscenely disrespectful and unauthorized releases including an album titled blacklisted, a single titled ‘Lately’ and now a book,” Taylor Helgeson, of Big Umbrella Management, adds. “This is a time for mourning and reflection, not heartless money grabs and attention seeking. We would ask the parties responsible to remove the aforementioned content and that no further content be released without approval from his family, friends, and associates.”
The book's publisher, Andy Symonds, however, stands by his choice, telling Page Six that Carter "hired" him to "help tell the world his story." “That story, while tragically cut short, was filled with good and bad,” he says. “His life was far from pretty, and understandably certain people in the public eye don’t want some of the stories Aaron tells in his book to come to light. That doesn’t make them any less true or newsworthy.”
The author concludes, “Aaron had a right — as we all do — to tell his story. As a journalist, I am honored that he chose me to help him do that. In addition to being cathartic for him, Aaron hoped this book would help others struggling with addiction and mental illness. I hope and believe it will do that.”