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Controversy has followed Backstreet Boy Nick Carter since he stepped into the spotlight more than a decade ago.
And the 26-year-old admits his dysfunctional family life has something to do with that.
Drunken wild nights out, his turbulent romance with hotel heiress Paris Hilton and his brother Aaron's highly publicised petition for legal emancipation from his mother, have made headlines around the world.
The eldest of five children, Nick says his celebrity has affected his siblings - Bobbie Jean (BJ), Leslie, and twins Angel and pop singer Aaron.
In a new fly-on-the-wall reality programme, House Of Carters, the siblings unite to rebuild their disjointed lives and strained relationships.
After 10 years living apart, the siblings allow a television crew to film their every move for the show, which is now screening in New Zealand.
"I feel like I am actually able to choose now and make things right," Nick says at the family's Los Angeles mansion.
"I didn't know where I was at certain times, having so much success.
"This gives me an opportunity to do something positive. The House Of Carters is a nut house. There are years and years of built-up tension and stress.
"We are righting the wrong of not knowing each other because this business tore us apart."
Nick's life has been on public display since he joined American boy band, the Backstreet Boys, in 1992.
The band has gone on to international stardom, selling more than 72 million albums worldwide.
While Aaron, 18, has followed in his brother's footsteps as a solo artist, their sisters say they've had to deal with feelings of neglect.
The girls had to play second fiddle to the boys as their parents, Robert and Jane, toured the world as managers.
"It truly is hard living in the shadow of somebody ... it's really hard feeling like you are not good enough," said Leslie, 19.
"You are at the bottom of the list of importance. It's sad when you think about it."
Jane and Robert divorced in 2004 and since then all siblings have been estranged from each other in one way or another.
Leslie, a budding singer who moved back to the United States from Canada to film the series, says she felt the most removed from her siblings.
"It's a big thing to come back into this and I didn't know what to expect."
A more mature and grown-up Nick says he's happy to play the parental role and guide his siblings through life.
"In the beginning my brother and sisters didn't like it because they have this vision of what our mother and father are like," he said.
"It took a little time to prove that I am just a brother looking out for them. I am learning things along the way from them also. I am not perfect."
Aaron says the decision to allow television cameras to delve deep into their private life was a hard one.
"We all had our doubts," he said. "Originally we were just wondering what people would think. It's like we are getting a clean slate this time. We can tell our side."
Nick viewed the series in the same light.
"I figured this would be an opportunity to knock down all the rumours and show the world we are real people," Nick said. "We have issues like everyone else."
The siblings agreed that watching the footage, which was often emotional, was eye-opening.
"People will take a liking to it because it's so frickin' real, it's scary," Nick said. "It scares me, my brother and sisters, to even watch it."
BJ, who is in the process of writing a book about her life in a showbiz family, says the cameras were annoying at times.
"The first night we were being filmed I almost lost it and said I didn't want to do it. Even now I can't believe I did a reality show. I don't even watch the show because I can't stand to [see] myself on TV."
Angel, the only brunette of the clan, who is attempting to break into the world of modelling, relished the experience.
"It brought us together," the 18-year-old said. "I always felt close to BJ and Aaron but I was a bit distant from Leslie over the years. We are so close now. This can be our home video."
What: House of Carters, the reality show starring former Backstreet Boy Nick Carter and his dysfunctional household of siblings
Who: Nick, Aaron, Bobbie Jean, Angel and Leslie. Yes, they are almost as nuts as the Osbournes
When: Saturday, E! Channel, 7pm with repeats throughout the week
- AAP
