Nick Carter showed his emotional side during Thursday night’s episode of ABC’s “Boy Band” while talking about family. The moment comes on the heels of a public spat with his younger brother Aaron Carter, who was arrested last weekend on suspicion of DUI and other drug-related charges in Habersham County, Georgia.
The Backstreet Boy, who serves as an “architect” on the TV competition series, got choked up after hearing 16-year-old contestant Jaden Gray talk about his strained relationship with his father, who has been in and out of jail over the years.
Fighting back tears, Carter told Gray, “I understand exactly what you’re going through. When it comes to having a hard upbringing in a family, no matter what happens, or what they say or do, you still love them.”
At one point Carter asked, “If there was one thing you could say to your father on a night like this, what would it be?”
“Dad, I love you and I thank you for being the father that you’ve been,” Gray said. “You’re the best ever.”
Carter also praised the young “Boy Band” contender for his performance of Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors,” saying, “It was beautiful. It was everything this world needs.”
Following Aaron’s arrest last week, Nick, 37, lent his support on Twitter, writing, “To my brother: I love u no matter what & if u feel the need to reach for help, I am here and willing to help you get better. Family isn’t always easy, be we’re all here for you.”
But Aaron, 29, called his brother’s comments disingenuous, saying in a statement, “If my own blood (Nick) truly cared about my well-being, why wouldn’t he call me directly and have a conversation instead of making this about him through a very public forum?”
Just last month, Carter talked with HuffPost on Build Series about growing up both inside his own family and as a member of the Backstreet Boys.
“I came from a family of five and I was the oldest brother in my family. And when I met my new family with the Backstreet Boys, I became the younger brother, and there was a lot of things I learned from my group that I didn’t necessarily have or that was not taught to me when I was in my family,” he said. “So, they mean the world to me ... They are my family ... In a way I feel like I have become a part of each one of them.”
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