Nick Carter breaks down as Backstreet Boys pay tribute to late brother Aaron

Nick Carter breaks down as Backstreet Boys pay tribute to late brother Aaron

Nick Carter broke down onstage as the Backstreet Boys paid an emotional tribute to his brother, Aaron Carter, a day after the former child star was found dead in his bathtub.

The grieving singer could not hide his grief as a giant photo of his brother — his hands in a prayer position — was displayed at the back of the stage of London’s huge O2 arena Sunday.

He also wiped away tears as bandmate Kevin Richardson, 51, made a moving dedication to Carter’s late brother after they performed “No Place.”

“That song [No Place] is very special to us — because that song is about family,” Richardson said.

As Carter, 42, sobbed and looked to the skies, his other bandmates — A.J. McLean, Brian Littrell and Howie Dorough — came over to hug him.

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Backstreet Boys hug Nick Carter onstage. Carter was hugged by the rest of the band as they paid tribute to his brother, Aaron Carter, just a day after he died.
Nick Carter wipes away tears at Sunday night's Backstreet Boys show at London's O2 arena. Nick Carter wiped away tears as bandmate Kevin Richardson told fans how they "lost one of our family members."
Backstreet Boys continue tour in London Sunday. He continued touring with his band hours after posting a tribute to his brother, calling "addiction and mental illness" the "real villain."
An emotional Nick Carter onstage Sunday. Nick Carter appeared with the band at London's O2 arena despite saying his "heart is broken" at the loss of his 34-year-old brother.

“Tonight we’ve got got a little bit of heavy hearts. Because we lost one of our family members yesterday,” Richardson continued.

“Nick’s little brother Aaron Carter passed away yesterday … We thank you guys for all your love, all your well-wishes and all your support,” he said.

Dorough, 49, then came to the microphone to continue the tribute before than band played “Breathe,” a song about missing someone so much you can’t breathe.

Aaron Carter in 2019.Nick Carter wept as his band called his late brother, Aaron, “family.”Getty Images for WE tv

“We’d like to dedicate this next song to our little brother Aaron Carter. You will be missed brother,” he said.

Carter appeared onstage just hours after posting an emotional social media tribute to his brother, who was found dead in a bathtub in his California home on Saturday.

“My heart is broken. Even though my brother and I have had a complicated relationship, my love for him has never ever faded,” Carter wrote alongside a series of photos of them growing up.

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“I have always held on to the hope that he would somehow, someday want to walk a healthy path and eventually find the help that he so desperately needed.

“Sometimes we want to blame someone or something for a loss, but the truth is that addiction and mental illness is the real villain here,” he stressed.

“I will miss my brother more than anyone will ever know,” he said, adding: “I love you Chizz. Now you can finally have the peace you could never find here on earth … I love you baby brother.”