Leslie Carter is the woman in the middle

We haven’t covered this story yet because it’s sad. Just thinking about it is getting me teary-eyed, particularly these latest details. Leslie Carter, 25, died at home with her parents last week from a reported overdose of prescription drugs to treat mental illness. Leslie is a member of the semi-famous Carter family that was featured in the “House of Carters” reality show on E! in 2006. She was married and leaves behind a 10 month-old daughter. TMZ reported that prior to her death Leslie was living with her family in upstate New York in an attempt to quit using medication she had become dependent on. Her family had left her alone for just an hour and when they returned she was unresponsive.

One of Leslie’s brothers, singer Nick Carter, 32, didn’t make it to her funeral over the weekend. He told TMZ that his family didn’t let him know when or where it was, and plus he had a concert to give. Nick also gave a statement to E! acknowledging the “complicated dynamic” in his family:

The show must go on? Former Backstreet Boy Nick Carter has missed his own sister’s funeral. The singer gave a concert in Philadelphia and hosted a party at an Atlantic City resort on Saturday night, the same evening that funeral proceedings were held for little sister Leslie Carter.

“I wanted to be at my sister’s funeral, but my family has always had a complicated dynamic. I love my family. I want to thank everyone for all of their compassion and support that I have received during this most difficult time. There are so many emotions for me surrounding the loss of my sister. I am trying to stay healthy, positive and focused,” Nick, 32, said in a statement to The Insider.

Separately, Carter told website TMZ that he had wanted to attend the funeral in New York (which was attended by brother Aaron), but that his family had not disclosed the details.

Leslie died suddenly on February 1 from a reported overdose of prescription drugs meant to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Stepmother Ginger Carter told the police that the 25-year-old Leslie had a “long history of mental illness” and that she had appeared depressed the morning that she died.

“Our family is grieving right now and it’s a private matter,” a spokeswoman for the family had said in a statement after news broke. “We are deeply saddened for the loss of our beloved sister, daughter, and granddaughter, Leslie Carter. We request the utmost privacy during this time.”

The troubled Leslie appeared on the family’s reality show, “House of Carter,” in 2006 and aspired to be a singer like her famous older brothers.

[From Huffington Post]

At Nick’s concert he did dedicate a song to Leslie, and some audience members held up pink paper hearts for her. How sad that their family doesn’t get along well enough for Nick to go to his own sisters funeral, or is that a cop out because he was otherwise busy? Couldn’t he just have flown there, and would his family have turned him away at this time? This is tragic story, both in terms of a young woman dying and her family not pulling together after her death. I hope that Nick can reunite with his family somehow. I know in some families there’s just too much to overcome and that even a tragedy can’t make up for the past. With their history there’s probably more than one feud going on.

Header image is from 2006. Other images from 2010 and 2011. Credit: WENN.com

Nick Carter (the Backstreet Boy who dated Paris Hilton briefly) has given People magazine an exclusive insight into his addictions and rehab. Nick was involved in a bar brawl and DUI, but wasn’t concerned about his health until he felt weak and had chest pains last spring during a tour. He saw a doctor to investigate and discovered he had cardiomyopathy from years of drug abuse.

But the night before his results were due back, Carter, 29, fell into a familiar routine: “I went out and just went nuts,” Carter tells PEOPLE in its new issue. “I drank so much and I did a bunch of blow. I felt like I was trying to kill myself – because I didn’t want to get the results.”

The years of abusing his body led to a shocking diagnosis: cardiomyopathy, a weakening of the heart muscle that, in extreme cases, can require a transplant or lead to sudden death. (It’s the same condition that led to the death of singer Andy Gibb at 30 and killed actor Chris Penn at 40.)

Faced with the realization that his life depended on getting sober, Carter made a decision: “I don’t want to die,” he says. “I don’t want to be that person people read about and think, ‘That’s sad that he couldn’t stop it and killed himself.’”

After a few slips early on – and some blunt talk from his cardiologist – Carter sobered up and got healthy. At 167 lbs., he’s now in the best shape of his life.

People

I really appreciate that Nick got back on the wagon, and then spoke about it honestly. Instead of stumbling back and forth into rehab, using each visit as a publicity stunt, he just got his act together. And he looks really, really good. I now remember exactly what I found so appealing about the Backstreet Boys in high school– it certainly wasn’t their music!

Nick adds that following his parents divorce, he’s swearing off romance. His parents divorced in 2003, and he says it was a contributing factor in his addiction.

He recalls, “There was a ton of fighting. The kids would be thrown into the middle, to choose sides.”

Carter’s relationship with his parents is still strained; he hasn’t spoken to his father for many years – and he admits the struggle has affected his opinions on marriage.
The 29 year old is currently dating a salesgirl he met late last year, but insists “I don’t believe in marriage”.

But that doesn’t mean he’s not keen to settle down and have kids one day.

Carter, who once romanced Paris Hilton, tells People magazine he’d like to have a family of his own “someday, a little ways down the line.”

Contact Music

Maybe dating Paris Hilton also contributed to his lack of faith in relationships.

Nick Carter is shown on 10/28/08 outside MTV’s TRL with A. J. McLean and Howie Dorough of the Backstreet Boys. Credit: WENN

It’s possible Paris’ love note to Nick was never received, because it was with her stuff in the storage facility or we wouldn’t be able to post it here. She references a gift though, and it looks like she used a little card to tape it on in the middle next to a picture of herself. Given the content of her message and its delivery, I think it’s safe to assume it was a heart locket of some kind and the picture was meant to go in it. (Although now that I look at it again, she said “it looks like you” so who knows what it could be?)

At first I was going to rip on Paris for writing such a cliched love letter, but there’s a touch of vulnerabilty there in her scrawled note with all it’s trite platitudes. Once I read Nick’s letter to Paris I realized their brief relationship was meant to be.

Selected Touching Excerpts from Paris’ Letter to Nick: (excerpts below, also see full linked thumbnail above)

I love you more than anything you mean so very much to me. I care about you so much. And the feeling I get from caring for you is more special to me than words can begin to describe. But let me try to explain this to you. It means that I will never hurt you. It means that you can trust me, that you can tell me what’s wrong. It means that I will try to fix what I can, that I will listen when you need me to hear and that even in your most difficult moment all you have to do is say the word and I will always be there for. [sic] Don’t ever doubt my love for you. All I need is what I have with you.

Nick’s card to Paris: (ful text below, because it’s too good not to publish all of it. Also see full linked thumbnails above)

What is love? This was a word that was so distant to me. Until you! now there are so many meanings to this word, for instance. Love is pure. It is something that only few people ever really experience ever. [Emphasis added] And it flows between the both of us like a river of passion. When im away from you it just gets stronger. And its scary because ive never missed anyone like i miss you. Dont get me wrong if we had it our way we’d always be together and that would be amazing. But since i cant be there always i need you to know how much your love has got me babe! And no matter what trials and tribulations come, i carry you deep within my heart and soul. And everyone see’s that girls, guys, everybody. It radiates off me like a sighn [sic] that says back the f*#% up im taken. And I love it. So, you will always be able to be near, far, or over the rainbow and never have to worry about your man hurting you, cause you dont deserve it. Its time for happy times and No More Pain! Lets share the precious moments that we have to-gether in Love and Happy. Forever. So as this card says to my Love

I Love you so, so very much and will not no matter what Happens!

Paris and Nick ended their relationship in July of 2004 after about seven months together. Paris was seen out with bruises around her eye at the time of their breakup, and rumor had it that Nick was responsible, although he denied it.

The NY Post published some of Paris’ letters to Nick in January, 2005. Nick has since dished about Paris in an attempt to drum up publicity for one of his reality shows. He said he cheated on her with Ashlee Simpson after he found out Paris was being unfaithful to him with Chad Michael Murray and wanted to get back at her.

Other crap in the “Nick Carter” folder on the Paris Exposed website included scenes from a TV show he appeared in and a receipt for a $3,5000 piece of jewelry he bought her. Nick said in September of last year that he bought Paris earrings worth $10,000 and needed to get them back.

All photos and letters from ParisExposed.com, where’s there’s plenty more to be had for a reasonable $40 subscription fee.

Backstreet boys singer Nick Carter is gradually revealing details about his old-news relationship with Paris Hilton to make sure he gets as much press as possible for his stupid reality show. At the end of September, he said that he never abused Paris, and that “she tried to destroy me.” He then revealed in October that he cheated on Paris with Ashlee Simpson.

Now he says that Paris was shitty in bed and that she did a lot of pot. Given all the British slang and the distinctly British-educated tone to Aaron’s quotes, it’s safe to say that he may have given this news to the reporting paper, News of the World, but that they filled in the details:

Carter claims to have waited three whole weeks to bang Paris, and then to have been very dissapointed in her performance:

Paris was vain and preoccupied with spending money according to Nick.

None of this is particularly news-worthy, but since it’s negative news about Paris Hilton I figure that it’s worthwhile to print.

Nick’s reality show, “House of Carters,” premieres on British TV on November 7th. Surely that has nothing to do with all this crap he’s now spouting about Paris.

Pictures of Paris at the William Rast fashion show wisely wearing sticky circles over her boobs found at ParisFan.org.