Kamal Ghorui
TRIGGER WARNING: This article contains references to alcohol and drug addiction.Aaron Carter’s family has reached a settlement with a Los Angeles psychiatry clinic and one of its doctors in a wrongful death lawsuit linked to Xanax prescriptions before the singer’s 2022 death. Court documents filed in Los Angeles County on Tuesday, May 12, and obtained by PEOPLE, state that Amen Clinics and psychiatrist Dr. John Faber will pay a “confidential sum” as a “full and final resolution” in the case.
Aaron Carter’s wrongful death lawsuit settlement
According to PEOPLE, the settlement value is “within the ballpark” of damages sought by Carter’s family, which was less than USD 325,000. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Carter’s son, Princeton Lyric, now 4, by his mother and Carter’s on-and-off fiancée, Melanie Martin.Carter’s family alleged in the suit that two doctors and two pharmacies “overprescribed” and gave him “excessively high and unreasonably frequent amounts” of Xanax, Rolling Stone reported. The defendants denied wrongdoing in documents obtained by PEOPLE and said they followed the standard of care while prescribing medication.They also argued that Carter’s “death was due to inhaling difluoroethane gas (‘huffing’)” and was not caused by alleged negligence.
Aaron Carter’s death and remaining defendants
Carter was found dead at his home in Lancaster, California, on November 5, 2022. He was 34. Police sources told PEOPLE at the time that a house sitter found him in his bathtub. Prescription pills and drug paraphernalia were also found in his bedroom.Insiders initially believed Carter likely lost consciousness and drowned. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner later ruled that he drowned after inhaling difluoroethane and taking alprazolam, the generic form of Xanax. Difluoroethane is a gas commonly used in compressed air cans and can be inhaled to produce a high.The report, obtained by PEOPLE, said Carter was “incapacitated while in the bathtub” as the drugs took effect. He then slipped below the water’s surface and drowned.The lawsuit also names dentist Jason Mirabile, Walgreens, and Santa Monica Medical Plaza Pharmacy as defendants. They have not settled and are scheduled to go to trial in October, according to Rolling Stone.Carter rose to fame in 1997 with his self-titled debut album. He followed it with ‘Aaron’s Party (Come Get It)’ in 2000, ‘Oh Aaron’ in 2001, and ‘Another Earthquake!’ in 2002. His early hits included “Aaron’s Party (Come Get It),” “That’s How I Beat Shaq,” and his cover of The Strangeloves’ “I Want Candy.”The younger brother of Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter also toured with the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears before launching his first solo tour in 2000. Later, he moved into rap and released his fifth studio album, ‘LØVË,’ in 2018.Carter also acted in ‘Lizzie McGuire,’ ‘Sabrina the Teenage Witch,’ ‘7th Heaven,’ ‘Fat Albert,’ ‘Popstar,’ and ‘Supercross.’DISCLAIMER: If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol or substance abuse, please seek help from available helplines or support organizations.
