Nick Carter: My family blamed me for my sister's death

[family annihilators]

By Gael Fashingbauer Cooper
This story was originally published in September 2013.

Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter told Dr. Phil McGraw in a 2013
appearance that his family blamed him for his sister Leslie’s death, and
he didn’t attend her funeral because of it.

Leslie Carter died in 2012 at age 25 of an overdose of prescription
medication. On the day of her funeral, Carter performed a scheduled
concert seven hours away from the services.

Carter said his relationship with his four siblings “has been toxic.” He
told McGraw that “the communication is something that I’m still to this
day trying to work on. ... It’s tough when you come from a background like
that and a home that is really up and down and roller-coaster.” The
siblings starred in the reality show “House of Carters” in 2006.

Carter appeared on “Dr. Phil” to discuss his new book, “Facing the Music
and Living to Talk About It,” in which he is open about his past substance
abuse and family issues.

Carter said his father called him to tell him Leslie had died, and that
“immediately the conversation turned into not about her death and not
about the actual passing and what had occurred, (but) more about
themselves. ... And then I started to get blamed by the rest of the
family.”

McGraw explained to the audience that the Carter family felt that if Nick
Carter “had been there” for Leslie, she might be alive today.

“I felt (that) was unfair, especially with all the things I have done,”
Carter said. “I love my family like everyone loves their family, but then
there comes a point when you have to ask yourself if you’re helping them,
or hurting them.”

He did feel at fault for his sister’s death, Carter told McGraw. “There’s
definitely a part of me that did blame myself,” he said. “I think that’s
because of the responsibility that I sort of took on as the oldest member
in my family -- (and) probably should not have been taken on.”

Carter’s new book is dedicated to his late sister.

https://www.today.com/popculture/nick-carter-says-family-blamed-sisters-
death-rcna55878