The holidays can be a tough time for many people, especially if they’ve lost a loved one at some point during the year. Lots of family traditions are centered around family, and that first Thanksgiving or Christmas without them can understandably come with a lot of grief. For Aaron Carter’s fiancée Melanie Martin, the holiday fell less than three weeks after the former teen idol died tragically at the age of 34. But Martin kept Carter’s spirit alive, as she celebrated with her family and continued some of the traditions that she and her fiancé had.
Melanie Martin, who shared son Prince with Aaron Carter, celebrated Thanksgiving with her family this year, TMZ reports, just two days after Prince’s 1st birthday. While the “I Want Candy” singer had previously been in charge of supplying the turkey for the feast, Martin apparently shared those duties with her family in Carter’s honor. The singer also reportedly used to enjoy watching two of his favorite movies on Thanksgiving — Home Alone and Iron Man — so Martin and her family kept that tradition alive with their own double feature.
The site also reported that Aaron Carter’s German shepherd Zelda was in attendance for the family’s dinner. Following Carter’s passing — in which he was reportedly found dead in his bathtub on November 5 — Melanie Martin’s sister Jennifer and her fiancé took in the 3-year-old pup.
It’s obvious that Aaron Carter was still in everyone’s hearts and minds, as Melanie Martin spent her first Thanksgiving — not to mention their son’s 1st birthday — without him, and it’s nice that her family partook in the traditions she and Carter may have established on past holidays. Martin and Carter — who was the younger brother of the Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter — went public with their relationship early in 2020, but their relationship wasn’t without turmoil.
The couple broke up and got back together often, as Aaron Carter struggled with addiction. There were also abuse accusations from both parties, US Weekly reports, with both Melanie Martin and Carter filing restraining orders against the other at different times. In April 2020 Carter announced that Martin had suffered a miscarriage, but they were looking forward to trying again. In November 2021, Martin gave birth to their son Prince.
In the weeks since his death, Aaron Carter’s ex-girlfriend Hilary Duff shared a sweet message about the “Aaron’s Party” singer and sent love to his family. Raven-Symoné, who ran in the same circles as Carter while growing up in the spotlight in the early 2000s, also sent her condolences, as she made a statement about taking mental health seriously.
Nick Carter, who also had an up-and-down relationship with his younger brother, said he and Aaron had been able to make amends and were on good terms at the end of Aaron’s life. In an emotional statement, he said despite their complicated relationship, he always loved his “baby brother.”
Thanksgiving has passed, but the tough times likely aren’t over Melanie Martin as she grieves for her fiancé. In addition to Christmas being around the corner, TMZ reports that December also brings Aaron Carter’s birthday and his and Martin’s anniversary. If you want to remember him in happier times, you can see Carter in these movies and TV shows.
