Aaron Carter’s management company has blasted the release of his unfinished memoir as “obscenely disrespectful” and a “heartless” money grab.
Ballast Books announced this week that Aaron Carter: An Incomplete Story of an Incomplete Life, based on three years of recorded conversations between Carter and company president Andy Symonds, will be out on Nov. 15.
"Aaron was a kind, gentle, talented soul not without his demons," Symonds said, in a statement. "He was so excited about telling his story, and I feel I owe it to him to release the parts we did complete.”
MORE: Aaron Carter Dies At 34
In addition to the memoir, an indie album titled Blacklisted was released the day after Carter’s death.
Big Umbrella Management said in a statement to Billboard: “In the few short days following our dear friend’s passing we have been trying to grieve and process while simultaneously having to deal with obscenely disrespectful and unauthorized releases including an album, a single and now it seems a book.
“This is a time for mourning and reflection not heartless money grabs and attention seeking. We would ask the parties responsible to remove the aforementioned content and that no further content be released without approval from his family, friends, and associates.”
The company thanked actress-singer Hilary Duff, who dated Carter in the early 2000s, for speaking out about the release of the memoir. According to the New York Post, the book includes Carter’s recollection of losing their virginity to each other in a hotel room when he was 12.
“I think it was her birthday, maybe her 13th, but I don’t remember,” it reads. “Her friends walked in, and we just yelled at them to get out.”
Duff said in a statement to multiple media outlets: “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.
“To water down Aaron’s life story to what seems to be unverified click-bait for profit is disgusting. In no way do I condone shedding any light on what is so obviously an uninformed, heartless, money grab.”
Carter’s body was found in the bathtub of his home in Lancaster, California on Nov. 5. An official cause of death has not been announced, pending a toxicology report.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, click here to talk someone who can help.