Bobbie Jean Carter died from a fentanyl and methamphetamine overdose at the age of 41 in December 2023.
First responders found Bobbie Jean unconscious in the bathroom of her home in Tampa, Florida, on the morning of December 23 and rushed her to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Bobbie Jean, who was the mother of a daughter, was on probation for cocaine possession when she died, according to authorities, but her roommates had told them she had not used any narcotics since leaving prison.
Bobbie Jean’s official cause of death is intoxication from the combined effects of fentanyl and methamphetamine, according to the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner in Florida, according to TMZ.
His death has been considered accidental.
Bobbie Jean Carter died from a fentanyl and methamphetamine overdose at the age of 41 in December 2023 (pictured in 2006).
Bobbie Jean, like her brother Aaron and sister Leslie, struggled with substance abuse. Leslie died of a drug overdose at age 25 in 2012. Leslie, (center) died of a drug overdose in 2012 at age 25. Aaron passed away from accidental drowning due to drug use in November 2022 (pictured in 2006)
The medical examiner’s report indicates that Bobbie’s roommate last had contact with her at 6:30 a.m. on December 23, but around 7 a.m., the roommate found Bobbie unconscious on the floor of the bathroom and called 911.
First responders attempted life-saving measures on Bobbie before she was transported to a Tampa hospital, where, at 8:02 a.m., she was pronounced dead.
A small dose of fentanyl is enough to cause an overdose. Only two milligrams – the equivalent of five grains of salt – are enough to cause death.
Fentanyl was originally developed in Belgium in the 1950s to help cancer patients manage pain. Given its extreme potency, it has become popular among recreational drug users.
Overdose deaths related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl rose from nearly 10,000 in 2015 to nearly 20,000 in 2016, surpassing common opioid painkillers and heroin for the first time.
The ultra-potent opioid that is laced with virtually every illegal drug in the country killed a record 75,000 Americans in 2021, the equivalent of 1,500 lives lost each week.
Because it is mixed with other popular drugs, many people who die from overdoses do not know they are taking fentanyl. Fentanyl has been blamed in part for the sharp decline in life expectancy in the United States over the past three years.
Bobbie Jean, or BJ, as she was known to her family, is the third Carter sister to die prematurely. Aaron Carter passed away on November 5, 2022, at the age of 34, while a decade earlier, in 2012, Leslie Carter passed away at the age of 25. Both deaths were caused by overdoses.
Bobbie Jean, who was the mother of a daughter, was on probation for cocaine possession when she died, according to authorities, but her roommates had told them she had not used any narcotics since leaving prison.
Aaron’s death was attributed to drowning after inhaling compressed difluoroethane, also known as snorting, and ingesting alprazolam, which is sold under the brand name Xanax.
Leslie (left) died of a drug overdose at age 25 in 2012 (pictured in 2006), the same year the Carter brothers starred in the reality show House of Carters.
The Carter family has been rocked by the premature deaths of all three siblings in just 11 years (BJ, Leslie and Aaron are pictured in 2006).
She was buried in a town outside Tampa during a “small private ceremony” attended by family and friends last month.
Nick broke his silence on Bobbie Jean’s death, writing that he is “completely heartbroken” in an emotional tribute on Instagram.
“It may take a lifetime to fully process the loss my family has suffered over the years, most recently with the sudden passing of our sister Bobbie Jean,” the Backstreet Boys star wrote on Thursday.
He also shared an old photo of himself and Bobbie Jean playing when they were kids.
Nick’s post followed the report that Bobbie Jean’s eight-year-old daughter Bella is in the custody of her grandmother, Schneck, 64.
In a statement to TMZ The grieving mother spoke about her devastating loss.
In June, Bobbie Jean was arrested on a shoplifting charge for an incident at Hobby Lobby and was placed on suicide watch after threatening suicide. Investigators discovered she was in possession of fentanyl at the time.
‘I am shocked to learn of the sudden death of my daughter, Bobbie Jean; and I will need time to process the terrible reality of this happening a third time,’ she began.
‘When I can think clearly, I will publish a more complete statement; but until then I would ask to be allowed to cry in private.
He added: “No matter how deeply a parent feels the loss of a child, the suffering of a young child over the loss of a parent must be much greater.”
“Therefore, I would ask those of you who are understanding to pray for my precious eight-year-old granddaughter Bella, who previously lost her father and is now left without her mother as well.”
Fans may know Bobbie Jean from her appearance on the reality show House of Carters, which aired in 2006.
She, like her late brother Aaron and late sister Leslie, struggled with substance abuse.
Aaron died of accidental drowning at his home in Lancaster, California, caused after inhaling difluoroethane and taking alprazolam, the generic form of brand name Xanax. He was 34 years old.
Leslie died of a drug overdose at age 25 in 2012.
In June, Bobbie Jean was arrested on a shoplifting charge for an incident at Hobby Lobby and was placed on suicide watch after threatening suicide.
Investigators discovered she was in possession of fentanyl at the time.
Nick, 43, has not spoken publicly about this latest family tragedy, but his sister Angel, 35, made a lengthy statement on Instagram on Sunday, vowing to prevent the trauma that tormented her siblings from hurting the next generation.
Nick, 43, has not spoken publicly about this latest family tragedy, but his sister Angel, 35, made a lengthy statement on Instagram on Sunday, vowing to prevent the trauma that tormented her siblings from hurting the next generation.
‘This starts with our children and creating healthy conversation within the home. The generational dysfunction stops now.” she wrote on Sunday.
Visit @onoursleevesofficial to learn more about how you can get involved and how to be there for your loved ones. I love you BJ, you’re free now.’
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse and/or mental health issues, please contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at 1-800-662-4357.