Aaron Carter sent haunting final text to his best friend hours before his sudden death: "I promise..."
Taylor Helgeson, who was not only a close friend of Aaron Carter but also one of his music collaborators, had expressed his deep grief over the singer's passing. He revealed that he was "scared" as he watched Carter struggle again with substance abuse, despite his efforts to focus on making new music. Though Carter was excited about recording a new album, Helgeson said the artist remained in denial about his substance abuse and erratic behavior. Carter, known for his hit song 'I Want Candy,' had previously disclosed that he had suffered over 100 seizures due to inhalant abuse. Tragically, he was found dead in his bathtub at his home in Lancaster, California, on November 5, 2022.
In his final hours, Carter exchanged texts with Helgeson, expressing enthusiasm about working on a new album. Plans had been made for producers from Denmark to fly in to begin recording sessions in Los Angeles. In an exclusive interview with The U.S. Sun, Helgeson shared, "He was so excited, he was extremely optimistic. It had been a few years since we released Love, and he felt ready to do another one. I got these incredible producers from Denmark to fly out to produce his album, and it was the first time in a while that I've seen him so excited. He had more [to give], and he didn't quit." Helgeson recalled their last conversation, saying, "The last night, he texted me and he said, 'Bro, these songs are amazing.' And I said, 'I know, I can't wait until you record them.' And he said, 'I promise you, this is our best work yet.' He was really optimistic, and he felt like he was dealing with a lot of problems, but he felt like he could handle it.
This album was going to be him owning everything. He was going to take accountability, and he felt that was going to be the best way to do it." Their final text exchange happened around 6:32 p.m. on November 4. Carter messaged Helgeson, writing, "Checking in!" to which Helgeson responded, "Hey, how are you doing?" Helgeson explained, "[He replied] 'I'm just headed back to the house. I was in L.A. All good though. Things are looking up.' And I said, 'I know it.' He said, 'Holy s***! The new album, what the f***? This is definitely a Grammy!' And I said, ‘Yeah, and you deserve it.’ And he said, 'Huge! Our best work yet.' And that was it. It was 6:32 p.m."
Helgeson added, "We don't know what happened. We know that he called me. I was on a plane, so he called my friend, his friend as well, and he asked to come to the house to record some music, to start tracking these vocals, and from what I heard, that was around 9:30 p.m. But he never made it to the house." Although Carter was eager to record, Helgeson admitted he had been concerned in the weeks leading up to his death. Carter had missed concerts and meetings, which was unusual for him. Sadly, in Carter’s final days, he and Helgeson were not on good terms. The singer was seen 'huffing' during a livestream on social media, but he denied it when confronted by Helgeson over the phone, claiming it was "not real."
To make Carter realize the seriousness of the situation, Helgeson decided to stop answering his calls for a while, believing it would serve as a wake-up call. He explained, "It is so hard for me to explain it. He was so complicated and hard-headed, and I was too. If I didn't answer the phone for two days, I would get thirty calls, and he'd ask, 'What's wrong? What's wrong? What can I do?' Not many friends do that. We would talk several times a day, and I felt like if I didn't respond to him [then] he would understand how serious I was about him dealing with this stuff. It just felt like, if I kept responding and I kept carrying on, that you keep getting a pass on yourself. "So the last couple of days, after that conversation in particular, it was the first time we'd talked in like four days because I was so upset."
Carter had previously spoken openly about the toughest times in his life. In a 2017 interview with US Weekly, he said, "I thought I would die by 30. Even when I was 13, 14, I thought, 'Oh, my God. I’m going to die.' I go through a lot of pain, and my pain is reflected in my music." Carter’s words revealed the struggles he faced from a young age and how those feelings showed up in his songs.