Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of rape and sexual abuse. Reader discretion is advised.
In 2017, Melissa Schuman, the former singer of the girl group Dream, accused the Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter of sexually assaulting her in 2003 when she was 18 years old. They were reportedly working on a movie together when Carter allegedly drugged Schuman and raped her despite her resistance in his Santa Monica home. Although the victim reported the assault, Carter wasn’t charged. The Guardian reported that the incident passed the statute of limitations in 2013. Schuman then filed a lawsuit against Carter for sexual assault and battery in April 2023.
Another woman, Shannon “Shay” Ruth, accused Nick Carter of sexual battery in December 2022, according to People Magazine. Per her allegations, the singer raped her on a tour bus after a Backstreet Boys concert. The victim was reportedly 17 at the time, and Carter was 21 years old. Both Schuman and Ruth accused him of giving them HPV.
In August 2023, a third victim, who goes by the name Ashley in the Fallen Idols documentary, accused the Backstreet Boys band member of sexually assaulting her when she was a minor. She also sued Nick Carter and said that he had assaulted her over three instances in 2003 when he was 23 and she was 15. She is reportedly suing him for $15,000 in damages. The victim also alleged that she reported the incident to authorities briefly after the assault in two different states. However, the police failed to press charges. The third victim also accused Carter of infecting her with HPV.
Per a report by 8 News Now, Nick Carter allegedly raped Ashley in the bedroom of his yacht and told her “to keep his sexual abuse of her a secret.”
Nick Carter allegations: Did the Backstreet Boys band member respond to them?
In May 2024, Fox News reported that Nick Carter called the sexual assault allegations against him “factually impossible.” The Backstreet Boys member referred to Shannon Ruth’s allegations while claiming the lack of solid evidence in her claims. Ruth reportedly had a photograph of a bruise from the incident that she alleged was taken by her friend Eleanor. However, Eleanor dismissed the claims. Carter argued in his plea to end the litigation against him.
CNN reported that in a counterclaim that Nick Carter filed, he claimed that Repp and Ruth were part of a “conspiracy orchestrated by Co-Conspirators to harass, defame and extort Carter.” After Schuman accused him of raping her at his home, he responded by saying the sexual intercourse was consensual. He filed counterclaims against all the women. However, according to court documents (via 8 News Now), Schuman’s attorneys and father claimed that her revelations were protected by the First Amendment and were not intended to defame.
Because of these allegations, Nick Cater’s lawyers alleged that the singer and his band lost out on several promotional events, endorsements, and a Christmas TV special. They also claimed that the Backstreet Boys lost around $2.3 million because of the “defamation,” reported 8 News Now.
ID’s six-part docuseries Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter aired on May 27 and May 28, 2024. The remaining episodes is scheduled to air this Friday, May 31. The series explores several aspects of Aaron and Nick Carter’s life, including accusations by Repp and Schuman.
