Movies

The Carters: Hurts To Love You – Angel’s Untold Story

BBG News

After the unexpected passing of Aaron Carter at age 34, the response from media outlets and pop enthusiasts ranged from sorrow to acceptance. Many millennials, now in their 30s and 40s, spent their childhood listening to Aaron Carter’s music and catching him on popular TV shows like Sabrina The Teenage Witch and 7th Heaven. However, Aaron Carter’s mental health issues and addictions were widely publicized before his 2022 death, making his life a frequently cited example of the pitfalls associated with child stardom.

2024 saw the Investigation Discovery docuseries “Fallen Idols” delve into Carter’s tumultuous journey, suggesting his hardships were rooted in his early fame, financial burdens placed upon him by parents Jane and Bob to sustain the family, the rivalry with his older brother and Backstreet Boys member Nick, and a familial background marred by addiction and emotional neglect. The series, “Fallen Idols,” also highlighted Aaron’s staunch support for women, particularly Dream member Melissa Schuman and Ashley Repp, who had publicly accused Nick of rape and sexual assault. Regrettably, this backing led to Aaron, a man known for his sensitivity, being subjected to relentless online harassment and bullying by an unforgiving horde of Nick and Backstreet Boys supporters.

Approximately a year following the debut of “Fallen Idols”, streaming service Paramount+ is now unveiling a fresh two-part documentary titled “The Carters: Hurts To Love You“, directed by Soleil Moon Frye, a former child star and documentarian. The documentary, slated for release on April 15, primarily tells the story from the perspective of Aaron Carter’s twin sister, Angel Carter. “The Carters” includes unprecedented family home videos, as well as interviews with past Carter road crew members, extended relatives, Melissa Joan Hart, a fellow child performer and Frye’s “Sabrina” co-star, Scout Willis, a childhood friend of the Carters, and Nick Carter himself.

Similar to “Fallen Idols”, the documentary titled “The Carters” delves into the early struggles, trauma, substance abuse, and questionable parenting practices that have significantly impacted the adult lives of each Carter sibling. Tragically, out of five siblings, only Nick and Angel are still alive today. Their sisters Leslie Carter (who passed away due to a drug overdose in 2012) and Bobbie Jean (who also succumbed to a drug overdose in 2023) are no longer with us. Jane, who has since remarried and now goes by Jane Schneck, has not responded to the claims made in “The Carters” and declined to participate in interviews for the series. The father of the Carter siblings, Bob Carter, passed away in 2017 due to an apparent heart attack.

As a follower, I’ve come to realize that while the projects share some common ground, they diverge significantly. The controversy surrounding Nick’s sexual assault allegations and Aaron’s past claims of abuse are not topics The Carters chooses to tackle. Frye explains that this is because The Carters was inherently Angel’s narrative, focusing solely on her story.

A narrower approach to the Carters’ story

For individuals who have kept up with the Carters’ saga, either by closely following it or watching the series Fallen Idols, they may have noticed that allegations of sexual assault against Nick Carter are not prominently featured, as some of these accusations are currently being addressed in court. However, this narrative is far from concluded: A fourth woman, Laura Penly, recently filed a civil lawsuit in Nevada against Nick for incidents occurring in 2005. In her suit, Penly alleges that Nick sexually assaulted her on two occasions when she was approximately 19 years old. Furthermore, the suit claims that the singer infected her with several sexually transmitted diseases, including the human papillomavirus, which led to a Stage 2 cervical cancer diagnosis in August 2005. Nick’s legal team has refuted Penly’s allegations, stating that the singer “does not recall ever meeting” her and insisting that he “never had any romantic or sexual relationship with her, ever.

In the year 2022, Shannon Ruth filed a lawsuit against Nick, accusing him of raping her on a tour bus located in Tacoma during 2001. Subsequently, in 2023, Schuman brought forth similar charges, stating that Nick had sexually assaulted her when she was 18 while they were working together on the teen horror movie titled “The Hollow” in 2003. Additionally, Repp filed a lawsuit in 2023, alleging that Nick had sexual relations with her when she was 15, an incident that occurred on a yacht near Marathon, Florida, during Nick’s family’s stay there in 2003. Nick has previously refuted the accusations made by Schuman, Ruth, and Repp, and he has counter-sued all three women for defamation. Last year, it was decided that Nick could not countersue Repp for defamation. Schuman’s trial is set to begin in California this coming December, while the cases of Repp and Ruth will be heard together in Nevada during March 2026.

In a different perspective, The Carters merely touches upon the complex bond between Aaron and Nick, as well as Nick’s connections with his other siblings. Contrarily, Fallen Idols proposes that the rift between the brothers may have deepened due to Aaron knowing about Nick’s past involving assault. However, The Carters primarily explores how Jane Carter, the family matriarch, instigated a rivalry between the brothers following their parents’ divorce in 2004.

It’s noteworthy to mention that both “The Carters” and “Fallen Idols” incorporate footage from the brief 2006 E! reality series “House of Carters,” which followed Nick and his younger siblings residing in Los Angeles. The documentary “Fallen Idols” emphasized an accusation of abuse against Nick by Aaron, as it depicted a heated argument between the brothers, with Aaron shouting, “You’re not a good person, and everyone knows it” at Nick. In contrast, “The Carters” acknowledges the siblings’ squabbles but only presents the post-fight scene where they are embracing and crying. Throughout other scenes from the series, Nick is predominantly portrayed as assuming a nurturing role towards his siblings, arranging family dinners, and aiding them in their professional endeavors.

Creating a safe space for Angel to tell her story

During a conversation with TIME before the launch of “The Carters“, Frye emphasized her aim to establish a supportive environment for Angel to share her narrative, while also fostering a dialogue about the hurdles faced by Aaron and his kin in terms of mental health and addiction. As she explains, “I wanted to create a documentary that tackled mental health and substance abuse, sparking significant discussions through this poignant, emotional, stunning, loving tale of Angel, her family, and the inherited trauma they experienced.” Angel, a strong advocate for mental health awareness, has transformed much of her suffering into a beacon of light. She stands as an inspiring testament to turning adversity into hope, even after enduring so much hardship.

Frye acknowledges that there were established narratives about The Carters family, but what drew her to direct the documentary was her personal connection to mental health struggles and addiction, having lost loved ones to these issues. She explains, “I wanted to approach this project with a clear and compassionate perspective.” Her meeting with Angel Carter sparked an immediate bond, and for Frye, the documentary served as a platform for Angel to openly share her experiences.

A focus on the alleged harms perpetrated by the parents

Working side by side with Angel afforded Frye extraordinary access to the family’s archives, encompassing numerous hours of home videos. Some of these recordings are quite unsettling. In one instance, a video captures Jane Carter comforting a weeping Bobbie Jean and advising her: “It’s important to tell the truth before you go to sleep, or you might pass away in your dreams.

In another scene, Angel introduces by discussing the traumatic physical abuse Leslie Carter experienced from her mother at a young age. A toddler Leslie can be seen playing with her brother Aaron in an outdoor paddling pool. Angered by Leslie for submerging Aaron’s head underwater, Bob enters the frame and strikes Leslie sharply on her behind, causing her to cry. As Jane scolds Leslie, Bob then forces Leslie’s head underwater again. “How do you like it?,” Jane asks Leslie. “We have a mean child,” Bob says to Jane, who agrees that Leslie is as stubborn as spit. Jane declined to participate in the show “The Carters.

Nick Carter’s appearance in The Carters

In the second episode, Nick makes an appearance at both the beginning and end. Frye accompanies Angel to a Backstreet Boys show in Skokie, Illinois, where she captures their reunion on her iPhone backstage. The duo look back on their past, with Nick recalling a time when his family was financially strapped, and he had won $150 from a talent show. This victory made his father, Bob Carter, so proud that Nick felt the key to winning his parents’ attention and bonding with his dad was through earning money. He saw this as a means to solve their financial problems.

Frye noted that the process was deeply moving, witnessing the bond between this brother and sister as they addressed their shared generational wounds. He could feel the burden he carried as the pioneer in their profession, and it seemed like the first opportunity for them to openly communicate. Remarkably, I was fortunate enough to be present during this heartfelt exchange, serving as a safe haven for their conversation.

At the end of “The Carters”, a scene shows Nick singing live, dedicating the song “Hurts To Love You” to Angel and his family. As they stroll along the beach, Angel expresses gratitude towards Nick, saying, “I’m so thankful I have you because there’s only one person who truly understands what we’ve been through.

Nick remarks, “We’re the last ones now,” implying a sense of isolation. He expresses a strong desire to halt the repeating pattern of their lineage, a cycle he wishes to shatter. He laments that BJ, Aaron, and Leslie were trapped within this cycle, unaware of their ability to break free. They didn’t deserve the lives they lived, yet they seemed destined to endure them. At times, Nick feels a heavy burden of guilt, believing he may have inadvertently set this whole chain of events into motion. After all, it began with him.

It seems that The Carters may have made a mistake by portraying Nick, a prominent member of the family, as a regretful figure who could have been a father figure. This contradicts ongoing legal issues against him and the documentary Fallen Idols, which presents him as an abuser. While they aren’t required to take a stance on everything, it would be better if they acknowledged these controversies and handled the conflicting narratives sensitively, rather than ignoring them altogether. Choosing willful ignorance in this situation might not be the best approach.

It’s not surprising that Nick’s youngest sister might prefer a documentary not presenting her perspective to corroborate any of the previous accusations or their origin within Aaron’s narrative. However, for those familiar with the Carter family history, this topic is like an elephant in the room—it’s challenging to brush aside due to its significance and complexity.

Read More

2025-04-15 23:07

Previous post Denise Van Outen, 50, Turns Heads in Stunning Beach Looks During Maldives Getaway!
Next post LoL patch 25.08 notes: Mel buffs, Gwen nerfs, and Sahn-Uzal Mordekaiser skin updates