He was the younger brother of the Backstreet Boys' Nick Carter.
Website TMZ said Carter was found dead in his bath at his home in Lancaster, California, on Saturday morning. Representatives of his team confirmed his death, PA reported.
Carter faced a number of struggles, checking in to rehab several times and filing a bankruptcy petition in 2013 over millions of dollars of debt, much of it tax-related.
He also had several run-ins with authorities over drugs possession and reckless driving.