After accruing more than $2 million in debt, Aaron Carter has made the tough decision to file bankruptcy.

Bankruptcy never sounds like a good thing, however Carter’s publicist, Steve Honig, says it is a positive step for Carter, and will allow him to move forward with his life. “This is not a negative thing,” Honig told CNN. “It’s actually very positive. It’s him doing what he needs to do to move forward.”

Honig also said that the majority of Carter’s debt is back taxes from when he was a minor and teen idol. “The bulk of the debt is from over 10 years ago when he was a minor and not in control of his finances,” Honig said. “This has happened to a lot of people who had fame at such at a very early age.” Honig added, “Most of that is an IRS tax debt. It’s very old debt from when his money wasn’t in his control. This is not recent problems that happened in the last couple of years, it’s going way back.”

The brother of Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter is currently on his first tour in over eight years. He hit a rough patch in 2011 and had to enter a rehab facility, but now Honig says he is sober and trying to put his past behind him.

“Aaron is really making smart decisions and taking control of his life,” said Honig. “He’s clean and sober, finishing his 75-city sold-out tour. And even though this is a negative story, this really is a positive step for him because it’s him being able to put his past problems behind him and move forward.”

Image via Wikimedia Commons