Hilary Duff pays emotional tribute to former boyfriend Aaron Carter

Hilary Duff has paid a touching tribute to her former boyfriend Aaron Carter.

The Younger actress dated the late singer - who was found dead at home on Saturday (05.11.22) aged 34 - for three years from 2001 and she has reflected on the "deep love" of their teenage romance while praising the "effervescent" charm he showed throughout his troubled personal life.

She wrote: "For Aaron. I’m deeply sorry that life was so hard for you and that you had to struggle in-front of the whole world. You had a charm that was absolutely effervescent.

"Boy did my teenage self love you deeply. Sending love to your family at this time. Rest easy.[heart emoji] (sic)"

Spencer Pratt has also paid tribute to Aaron, who he last saw just two days before he died, when they got together for a TikTok live stream session of them playing video games and chatting.

Aaron had shared a screenshot to Instagram and wrote: "@spencerpratt kicked my a** twice but then I got him on the third one! Cool dude! @tiktok thanks for the LØVË XO Thank you Julie! And spencer!!(sic)"

Spencer reshared the post on Twitter and wrote: "RIP [heart and angel emojis] (sic)"

One Voice singer Billy Gilman shared an old photo of himself and Aaron on his Instagram Story and reflected on his friend's talent.

He wrote: "The amount of times I reached out as a brother to see if he was ok I can't begin to count. You were truly a musical genius and could never just be that.

"I have no words. All I can say is I know what you had to deal with since we first met in 2001.

"You can now rest. Forever a brother to me. Love you, Aaron."

Fellow 1990s pop stars New Kids on the Block have been left "shocked and saddened" by the 'I Want Candy' singer's shock death.

They tweeted: "We are shocked and saddened about the sudden passing of Aaron Carter. Sending prayers to the Carter family. Rest in peace, Aaron."

Meanwhile, Melanie Martin is still processing Aaron Carter's death.

The 30-year-old bartender has broken her silence following the passing of her on/off fiance - the father of her 11-month-old son Prince - after he was found unresponsive at his Los Angeles home on Saturday (05.11.22) morning.

She said in a statement: "We are still in the process of accepting this unfortunate reality. Your thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated."

In addition, Melanie also posted a two-second video to TikTok, in which she was seen crying hysterically behind the wheel of a car.

The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department previously confirmed deputies had found the 'Crazy Little Party Girl' singer "unresponsive in his home in Palmdale, California" after responding to a 911 call at around 11am.

The phone call was made by a house sitter, who told the operator she had found a man unresponsive in the bath. Shortly after the deputies arrived, fire department officers attended the scene and pronounced him dead.

The cause of death has not yet been revealed.

Aaron and Melanie had a turbulent relationship. They went public with their romance in January 2020, and in April that year announced they were expecting a baby, but two months latter they revealed the model had tragically miscarried "due to stress conditions."

They got engaged that June and almost a year later, revealed Melanie was pregnant again but they split up just a week after welcoming their son Prince into the world in November 2021.

They reconciled a week later before splitting again in February this year, before continuing with their on/off relationship cycle.

READ MORE: Nick Carter breaks silence on brother Aaron's death: 'My heart has been broken'

In September, Aaron revealed he was undertaking a month-long outpatient rehab programme after losing custody of Prince.

He said: "I haven't had any relapses or anything like that, it's just triggers are big right now for me [and] I want my son back,"

"The main reason why I enrolled into Lionrock Recovery outpatient  is to help with the weed...

"I do group therapy, parenting classes, domestic violence classes, I got myself certified in CPR, just a lot of different things.

"It's new being a parent but it's actually become really fun and exciting and given me a new chapter of my life. It's been amazing.”

Where to get help: Drug and alcohol helpline: 0800 787 797 or alcoholdrughelp.org.nz

- Bang! Showbiz