Nick Carter Blaming Paris Hilton For His Drug Use 'Is A Cop Out,' Says Source: 'He Was Into Drugs Long Before Dating Her'

Nick Carter blamed ex-girlfriend Paris Hilton for being a terrible influence on his substance abuse problems in his new tell-all book, but a source close to the situation calls BS and exclusively tells RadarOnline.com that the former Backstreet Boy was already deep in the world of drugs before hooking up with the heiress.

"Paris was the worst person in the world for me to hook up with," Carter said of the fast-living socialite in excerpts from his new memoir, Facing the Music and Living to Talk About It.

"I knew Nick back in like 2001 — before he started dating Paris in 2003 — and he was already deep into cocaine use, along with other drugs," a former pal told Radar.

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"Paris might have been a little enabling to him, but it's unfair for him to blame his drug use on her. It's a cop out."

Carter has admitted in the book that “during the height of my problems, I did Ecstasy, cocaine and drank a large bottle of vodka a night.”

The former Backstreet Boy has now been sober the past five years after a decade of using and abusing, but said his biggest regret over past drug abuse involves Ecstasy.

"I just feel that if Nick is going to open up and be honest about his drug use, then he has to take responsibility for it," the insider added.

"Man up and don't blame other people for the decisions you made."