Hilary Duff Honors Late Ex-Boyfriend Aaron Carter with Emotional Onstage Tribute during Philadelphia Concert

In a heartfelt moment during her Lucky Me World Tour stop in Philadelphia, pop sensation Hilary Duff paid tribute to her late ex-boyfriend Aaron Carter. The "Lizzie McGuire" alum wore a vintage T-shirt emblazoned with an image of the former child star, who was known for his trademark jean overalls and white-and-red shirt, during Sunday's performance. Duff and Carter had a tumultuous relationship that began in 2000 when they were both just 13 years old. Their on-again, off-again romance lasted for three years before ending acrimoniously after a high-profile love triangle with Lindsay Lohan. In a 2005 interview, Carter admitted to CNBC's "The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch" that Duff had been left heartbroken by his actions. Years later, as Duff built a family of her own, Carter expressed remorse for the way he treated her. In a since-deleted tweet in 2014, he wrote, "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." Carter eventually moved on and got engaged to Melanie Martin in 2020. They welcomed a son named Prince in 2021. However, the former child star, who was the younger brother of Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter, struggled with addiction and family trauma in the final years of his life. He was found dead on November 5, 2022, at the age of 34 in a bathtub at his California home. Following Carter's death, Duff shared a touching tribute to her ex on Instagram, writing, "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... Boy did my teenage self love you deeply." She also sent her love to Carter's grieving family and called out the publisher of his posthumous memoir, which claimed that Duff and Carter lost their virginity to each other when they were pre-teens. Duff argued that the book was "unverified clickbait for profit" and accused the publisher of exploiting Carter's death for financial gain. She vowed not to shed any light on what she saw as a sensationalized and inaccurate portrayal of their relationship.