Hilary Duff used a recurring Y2K-themed moment in her “Lucky Me World Tour” to pay tribute to her late ex-boyfriend, Aaron Carter. The Hilary Duff Honors Late Ex Aaron Carter As Tour Revisits Her Y2K Past first appeared on The Blast

Hilary Duff used a recurring Y2K-themed moment in her “Lucky Me World Tour” to pay tribute to her late ex-boyfriend, Aaron Carter. During her Philadelphia concert on Sunday, Duff wore a vintage T-shirt featuring Carter as part of a segment in which she has been selecting throwback concert shirts connected to the era that shaped her early career. The deeply personal choice stood apart from previous shirts honoring other performers, as Duff and Carter famously dated as teenagers, both rising young stars.

Hilary Duff Selects Aaron Carter Shirt For Y2K Segment

Duff has been leaning into early-2000s nostalgia throughout the tour, which supports her February album, “Luck…or Something.” For one portion of each concert, the former Disney Channel star has been choosing vintage music shirts that celebrate artists and moments from her past.

In Los Angeles, Duff wore one of her own 2004 concert shirts, taking audiences back to the height of her original pop era. Earlier this summer at a different show, she wore a vintage 1994 Reba McEntire graphic T-shirt. At another tour stop, she went back to her Disney roots and sported a Hannah Montana concert tee. She later wore a Good Charlotte shirt during a New York performance before bringing the band onstage to perform “The Anthem.”

Hilary Duff And Aaron Carter Dated As Teenagers

Duff and Carter began dating in 2000, when they were both 13 years old. Their on-and-off relationship lasted approximately three years and became one of the most closely followed young Hollywood romances of the early 2000s. The relationship ultimately ended following Carter’s involvement in an infamous love triangle with Lindsay Lohan.

During a 2005 appearance on CNBC’s “The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch,” Carter admitted that he began pursuing Lohan while still involved with Duff. “I just got a little bored, so I went, and I started getting to know Lindsay, dating Lindsay,” the “Aaron’s Party (Come Get It)” singer said.

Carter acknowledged that Duff “really got her heart broken,” something he said he felt “sorry” about. Although their romance ended when they were young, Carter continued to speak about Duff and express regret over how he handled their relationship after she moved forward with her life and started a family.

Carter eventually became engaged to Melanie Martin in 2020. The pair welcomed their son, Prince, in 2021.

Aaron Carter Died At Age 34

Carter was found unresponsive in a bathtub at his Lancaster, California, home on November 5, 2022. He was 34.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner determined that Carter became incapacitated in the bathtub because of the effects of difluoroethane and alprazolam before drowning. His death was ruled an accident. Difluoroethane is a gas commonly used as a propellant in compressed-air products, while alprazolam is the generic form of Xanax.

The former child star, who was the younger brother of Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter, had been open about his struggles with addiction and mental health.

Hilary Duff Said Her ‘Teenage Self’ Loved Aaron Carter Deeply

Following Carter’s death, Duff publicly mourned the singer and reflected on the affection she had felt for him during their teenage relationship. She shared an emotional Instagram tribute shortly after Carter’s passing, acknowledging the difficulties he experienced while living much of his life in the public eye.

“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,” she wrote. “You had a charm that was absolutely effervescent … boy did my teenage self love you deeply.”

Duff concluded the tribute by telling Carter to “rest easy” and “sending love” to his grieving family.

The Actress Defended Carter After His Death

Duff spoke out again when plans emerged to publish an unfinished memoir about Carter shortly after his death. The proposed book reportedly included intimate claims about the former couple’s teenage relationship, including an allegation that they “lost [their] virginity to each other” when they were pre-teens.

Duff criticized the timing of the project and questioned whether its contents had undergone appropriate fact-checking. “It’s really sad that within a week of Aaron’s death, there’s a publisher that seems to be recklessly pushing a book out to capitalize on this tragedy without taking appropriate time or care to fact-check the validity of his work,” she told the Daily Mail.

“To water down Aaron’s life story to what seems to be unverified clickbait for profit is disgusting,” Duff continued. “In no way do I condone shedding any light on what is so obviously an uninformed, heartless, money grab.”

The Hilary Duff Honors Late Ex Aaron Carter As Tour Revisits Her Y2K Past first appeared on The Blast