Hilary Duff honours ex Aaron Carter years after his untimely death
Duff and Carter dated for 3 years when they were 13 years old before he began dating Lindsay Lohan
Published August 10, 2026
Hilary Duff is keeping Aaron Carter’s memory alive.
The pop star paid tribute to her late ex-boyfriend — who passed away in 2022 — during her Lucky Me World Tour stop in Philadelphia on Sunday, August 9, wearing a vintage T-shirt featuring Carter during his early days as a teen star.
Duff and Carter began dating in 2000 when they were both just 13. Their on-and-off relationship lasted about three years and became a major part of the pair’s teenage years in the spotlight.
The former couple ultimately split for good following a love triangle with Lindsay Lohan. Years later, Carter expressed regret over how their relationship ended, writing in a since-deleted 2014 tweet, “I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to better myself to get back to her. I don’t care what ANY of you think.”
However, Carter’s life became increasingly difficult in his later years as he struggled with addiction and family issues. He was found dead in the bathtub of his California home on November 5, 2022. He was 34.
Duff paid tribute to Carter shortly after his death, reflecting on the difficulties he faced while remembering the boy she once loved.
“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.”
Last week, Duff reunited with another one of her exes when she brought out Joel and Benji Madden of Good Charlotte on stage for a duet of The Anthem. Duff dated Joel when she was 16 and he was 25.
