Aaron Carter Talks About Chronic Illness and Body Shaming With Entertainment Tonight

It can be hard to love your body when a chronic illness changes the way you look — and loving yourself can be even harder when you are constantly being shamed online because of your appearance. That’s what Aaron Carter wants his fans to know, he told Entertainment Tonight in an interview last week.

Carter, 29, known for his childhood hits “I Want Candy” and “Aaron’s Party (Come Get It),” said he was diagnosed with a hiatal hernia when he was 19. Since then, he’s lost 20 pounds from the pain and discomfort of his condition.

One of the hardest parts of living with chronic illness, he admitted was seeing the way his body has changed and dealing with body shaming.

“Oh my God, it hurts so badly,” he said when asked how he feels about his image. “It hurts so badly because there’s like nothing I can do about it.”

According to Carter, he receives hurtful messages from body shamers daily. Those criticizing him have asked why he looks so slim, why his face is so thin or if he does drugs like meth. The constant messages and hurtful comments, he said, have led him to deactivate his social media on multiple occasions.

When asked how he would respond to those who’ve body shamed him. Carter tearfully responded, “I am sorry for the way that I look.”

Not all of the comments he’s received have been critical. “To keep it 100 percent with you, there are so many other guys out there that have been reaching out to me on Twitter,” he explained. “I’m actually becoming a voice for people who are going through this.”

The interview comes several days after Carter was arrested for having marijuana in his possession. According to Carter, he smokes as a way of managing his chronic pain and anxiety as well as to stimulate his appetite.

“To everybody, I say, ‘Give me a break so I can look better, so I can eat,’” he added.

Header image via Aaron Carter’s Facebook page.