LESLIE Carter was a singer-songwriter and reality TV star from Florida who was also the sister of Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter.
She tragically died in January 2012 aged just 25 following a drug overdose.
Who was Leslie Carter?
Leslie Carter was born on June 6, 1986, in Tampa, Florida.
She was third born to Jane and Robert Carter, with older siblings Backstreet Boys singer Nick, and sister Bobbie Jean.
Leslie also had a younger sister and brother who were twins, Angel and Aaron.
She followed her older brother Nick into the music business and in 1999, Leslie signed with DreamWorks Records.
Leslie then released the bubblegum pop song Like Wow! in 2001.
The hit appeared on the Shrek soundtrack and peaked at No99 in the Billboard Hot 100.
In 2006, she founded the band The Other Half and moved to a more mature pop-rock sound
That year, she also starred alongside her siblings on the E! reality TV show House Of Carters and could be seen working on her music in the show.
The show only lasted one season and was largely about the five siblings trying to revive their careers and reconnect as a family.
Leslie is now set to feature in an upcoming documentary called Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter, about her brothers’ upbringing, rise to fame and controversies.
How did Leslie die?
In January 2012, Leslie died from a drug overdose.
She was only 25.
As reported at the time of her passing by E!, Leslie was found with three different prescription drugs near her body.
They were Olanzapine, which is used to treat schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, the muscle relaxant Cyclobenzaprine, and the anxiety medication Xanax.
According to the police report, Leslie’s stepmother found the former TV personality unresponsive at around 4.10pm on January 31, 2012, before immediately dialing 911.
Leslie was living with her father, Robert, in Buffalo at the time of her death and she was in the process of trying to wean herself off her medication.
Robert performed CPR on her body to no avail and Leslie was pronounced dead at the hospital at 4.59pm.
It is understood Leslie suffered from depression and was planning to go to rehab before she died.
A decade later younger brother Aaron also died from a multiple drug overdose that featured Xanax.
Was Leslie married and did she have children?
Leslie was married to Mike Ashton, the drummer in The Other Half.
The pair married in a private ceremony on September 12, 2008, after nearly three years of dating.
They later moved to Toronto, Canada.
In 2011, Leslie gave birth to a baby girl named Alyssa Jane.
Alyssa was only one when Leslie passed away.
In 2019, her brother Aaron accused Leslie of sexually abusing him between the ages of 10 and 13, according to Page Six.
He wrote: “My sister raped me from the age of 10 to 13 years old when she wasn’t on her medications and I was absused not only sexually by her but by my first two back up dancers when I was 8 years old.”
Aaron Carter was found dead at his California home on Saturday, November 5, 2022.
Where to get help for drug abuse
Those looking for help to deal with drug or other substance abuse can can reach out for help.
People struggling with alcohol addiction could reach out and attend a meeting with Alcoholic’s Anonymous by finding a local meeting center or an online support group.
Equally, those struggling with drug addiction could reach out to Narcotics Anonymous if they need help to stop abusing prescription or illegal drugs.
They can Find an NA meeting center, helpline, or online support group here.
The federal government’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration also offers these services to help with drug and alcohol abuse:
- Search for a treatment facility near you. Get help with problems related to substance abuse and addiction.
- The Alcohol Treatment Navigator explains how to choose among different treatment programs. And it offers advice on getting support for yourself or a loved one through the recovery process.
- Find medication-assisted treatment (MAT). This combines medications with counseling and behavioral therapies to treat substance use disorders.
