The second night time of Investigation Discovery’s Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter docuseries wasted no time earlier than diving into Aaron Carter’s psychological well being struggles and deeper into the allegations of sexual assault towards Backstreet Boys frontman Nick Carter.
The ultimate two episodes of the four-part docuseries featured interviews with Aaron Carter’s ex-girlfriend, Lina Valentina, and his ex-fiancée, Melanie Martin, whom he had a baby with earlier than he died in November 2022. Nick Carter’s ex-girlfriend, Kaya Jones, was additionally interviewed about her public assist for Melissa Schuman, a former member of the pop woman group Dream, who was the primary individual to accuse Nick Carter of sexual assault publicly.
The third episode opened with a recording of a telephone dialog between Aaron Carter and Schuman. In it, the “I Need Sweet” singer tells Schuman he had been seeing the whole lot that had been occurring to her since she got here ahead, and he felt compelled to succeed in out but additionally a duty to guard his brother.
It wasn’t lengthy earlier than he started to publicly communicate out towards his older brother in assist of the ladies who accused the Backstreet Boys member of sexual assault. What has adopted is years of cyberbullying for alleged victims Schuman, Ashley Repp and Shay Ruth, in addition to the late Aaron Carter, whose relationship along with his brother was perpetually modified after he sided with the ladies earlier than making an attempt to take it again years later.
Fandom loyalty and toxicity had been among the issues Fallen Idols‘ govt producer Michael Hirschorn and showrunner Elissa Halperin needed to discover within the docuseries, particularly about how social media elevates issues to a brand new stage.
“We had been very a lot struck by the diploma to which, even eight years into #MeToo, so many ladies are fiercely refusing to consider that something about their idols may very well be lower than excellent. Add into that what I’d name the ‘group sports activities’ side of social media, and it turns into very tough to get viewers to see the shades of gray in any controversy,” Hirschorn tells The Hollywood Reporter. “Particularly with Aaron, we would like viewers to take web trolling significantly. It’s not so simple as simply getting off social media. Trolling extends into actual life in profound and unsettling methods.”
Beneath, Hirschorn, Halperin and ID president Jason Sarlanis open up additional about their moral conversations surrounding together with Aaron Carter in Fallen Idols when he’s now not alive, the choice to characteristic interviews with Backstreet Boys superfans and extra.
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Having made this docuseries, how do you now really feel about Nick Carter?
MICHAEL HIRSCHORN One of many issues that we delivered to this and nonetheless really feel now’s a number of empathy for him. And I believe one of many issues that was actually necessary in making this documentary was that we method everyone in it with a stage of respect and empathy, and to present every of them a chance to ensure that their voice is heard.
Melissa Schuman, certainly one of Nick Carter’s accusers, in Fallen Idols.
Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.
How did you go about reaching out to Melissa, Shay and Ashley to come back ahead about what they went by way of?
HIRSCHORN Nicely, that was achieved initially by Natasha [Bowler, a British producer who had been working on a project about the #MeToo movement in music and introduced the Fallen Idols team to the three survivors in the docuseries]. She initially filmed with them earlier than we did a cope with her in Las Vegas in ’22. She had a excessive stage of belief with them. So, when she introduced the venture to us, it was actually on us to rebuild and re-earn the belief that they had handed off to her. There have been a number of conversations with Melissa and her father, [Jerome Schuman] — who’s someone that she depends on and trusts — with Ashley and with Shay, and people are tough, delicate conversations. Then, when Elissa got here on, we did it over again.
From my perspective, it was essential to be empathetic and honest, but additionally scrupulously sincere with them and ensure they understood that we’re an goal third social gathering in that we need to give them a platform and a discussion board to say what they need to say, and we’re very comfy that we conveyed the essence of what they needed to say precisely. However then it was incumbent on us to ensure that if the Nick Carter camp — and we had been in shut contact with Nick Carter camp, though Nick himself declined to be interviewed — had a chance to reply, that we had been representing and weighing these responses in a considerate means. And that was actually tough. And the particularly tough half, which I’m certain that’ll come up in a bit, is the Aaron piece, and the way to actually pretty inform that story.
Outdoors of the accusers, how doid you determine who to interview and have within the docuseries?
ELISSA HALPERIN After I’m approaching materials like this, I need to take a 360-degree look. I would like anybody who has a stake on all sides of the story and an necessary perspective to have the chance to talk, and I believe we made actual efforts to try this and to actually have a cross-section of views.
Melanie Martin, Aaron Carter’s ex-fiancée, in Fallen Idols.
Warner Bros. Discovery
What was the thought course of — and also you touched on this already somewhat bit — behind together with Backstreet Boys superfans who stated they didn’t consider Melissa or any of Nick’s different accusers?
HALPERIN One of many explanation why we determined to succeed in out to Backstreet Boys superfans is as a result of I believe they’re a part of the story. Nick and the Backstreet Boys have had an especially devoted fan base for 30 years and their unwavering dedication is part of this story. And we felt that it was necessary to signify.
HIRSCHORN The Backstreet Boys Military actually is a military. Should you consider among the KPOP supergroup fandoms, Backstreet Boys’ fandom is fairly giant, fairly fierce and fairly passionate. And what kind of enjoyable about it’s that these are those that started being superfans of their teenagers and now are nonetheless superfans of their 30s and even 40s.
JASON SARLANIS If you watch the documentary, you see that components of this BSB Military develop into a really important a part of the story itself and the way the connection between the 2 brothers developed.
You talked about that Nick declined to be interviewed, and it was famous within the docuseries. Have you ever had every other communications with the Carter household, apart from their cousin, John Spaulding, who was featured in Fallen Idols?
HIRSCHORN We had ongoing and proceed to have communications with the Nick Carter camp. Journalistically, if there have been allegations that had been made, the issues that had been contended by among the ladies or different folks we spoke to, we requested for responses from the Carter camp. At each level, we now have additionally included authorized paperwork as a part of a useful resource for individuals who need to dig extra deeply into the venture and need to study extra, as a result of there’s a big paper path of fees and counter-charges.
What makes this venture actually distinctive — I can’t consider one other one which’s precisely prefer it — is that it’s being made in the course of a collection of extremely contentious courtroom instances that contain preliminary fees, counter-charges, fees to the counter-charges and counter-charges to the counter-counter-charges. And that’s fairly exceptional. And it each creates a sturdy paper path that’s actually attention-grabbing to undergo, however makes it very tough terrain to navigate. So, as someone who in a earlier life was {a magazine} and newspaper editor and investigative reporter — Elissa has a few of that background as effectively — we actually introduced a number of that have in historical past to this.
John Spaulding, a cousin of the Carter household, speaks about his relationships with Aaron Carter and Nick Carter.
Warner Bros. Discovery
Right here’s my query about Aaron. What had been the moral conversations round exploring accusations round Aaron and diving into his psychological well being and habit points when he isn’t round anymore to answer them?
HALPERIN Aaron is somebody who has gone by way of lots, and I believe folks actually care about him and what occurred to him, and there’s a need at all times when a celeb, particularly a former little one star, form of winds up on this tragic circumstance, to form of perceive what occurred and replicate on that. That was one thing we needed to take a look at — the complexities of all of the issues he was going by way of. The concept that 25 years in the past, these two younger males had been these idols on high of the world, and right here we’re, 25 years later. I believe to know how that occurred, and the cycles of abuse inside that household the place three siblings are literally now not with us, felt necessary to look at.
SARLANIS Aaron was very open about his struggles with substance abuse and psychological well being in his personal public means. When you concentrate on the affect this younger man had on tens of millions of followers who adored him, if his story can act as a little bit of a cautionary story to any of them who’re struggling in their very own methods with substance abuse, psychological well being points with unhealthy household dynamics, then, I believe, telling his story is price it.
How large of an element do you assume the Carter household dynamics performed in the whole lot that’s panned out for these boys and their siblings and cousins?
HALPERIN I believe we will say from Nick and Aaron’s cousin immediately, John Spaulding — who we interviewed — the household dynamics performed an enormous function in what wound up occurring.
HIRSCHORN There’s this very highly effective scene, the place Aaron places the knife to his head.
HALPERIN When he was starring in Seussical, there was an anecdote that was advised to us by his former supervisor that was simply actually placing to all of us in the best way that his household responded to such a critical, what we perceived to be, a cry for assist.
SARLANIS I believe for 2 younger males that lived their lives a lot within the public highlight, there are nonetheless components about their household background which have by no means come to mild till this documentary that, I believe, will likely be eye-opening for the viewers and for the fan base.
Nick Carter and Aaron Carter.
Chad Buchanan/Getty Photos
We’ve seen this with different musicians, the place followers can not see their idols as something however excellent. What do you make of that after engaged on this doc?
HIRSCHORN We had been very a lot struck by the diploma to which, even eight years into #MeToo, so many ladies are fiercely refusing to consider that something about their idols may very well be lower than excellent. Add into that what I’d name the “group sports activities” side of social media, and it turns into very tough to get viewers to see the shades of gray in any controversy.
HALPERIN I don’t need to communicate for all followers, however there’s undoubtedly an enormous part of that at play right here, and it was a reminder of how private our connections are to celebrities and music, significantly those we fell in love with as youngsters.
Fandom loyalty and toxicity are explored, with some taking to social media with dying threats as a result of somebody they idolize was, of their thoughts, was attacked. How did you hope to handle that within the docuseries?
HIRSCHORN Very a lot so. Particularly with Aaron, we would like viewers to take web trolling significantly. It’s not so simple as simply getting off social media. Trolling extends into actual life in profound and unsettling methods.
There was a current wave of exposé docs into well-known figures. Usually, they spark ramifications, whether or not skilled or authorized. What affect do you hope this doc could have for Nick and Aaron Carter in terms of, respectively, accountability and legacy?
HIRSCHORN It’s not our place to push for a specific end result. It’s our place to inform a real story pretty and with empathy.
Final week, 50 Cent offered an investigative Diddy documentary to Netflix following a bidding conflict. The place will you level your lens subsequent?
HIRSCHORN I’m significantly interested by exploring the early days of actuality TV, a time I used to be actively part of as the pinnacle of programming at VH1. It was the Wild West again then, each fascinating and, at occasions, a bit cringe.
All 4 episodes of Fallen Idols are streaming on Max.