- Nick Carter's countersuit for defamation.
Backstreet Boys Singer Nick Carter (44) Countersues with Defamation Lawsuit Against Melissa Schuman (39)
Nick Carter, a member of the Backstreet Boys, has filed a countersuit against Melissa Schuman, who had previously accused him of sexual assault. Carter is seeking $2.5 million in damages, as reported by the U.S. magazine "People" citing court documents.
Schuman, a former member of the girl group Dream, alleges that Carter forced her into oral and then vaginal sex in 2003 when she was 18 and he was 22. She filed a civil lawsuit in April 2023, but had first made the allegations years earlier. The Los Angeles District Attorney's office declined to press charges at the time, citing the statute of limitations. However, a change in the law last year allowed Schuman to pursue legal action against Carter.
In his countersuit filed with the California Supreme Court at the end of July, Carter claims that Schuman made false statements when she first accused him of sexual assault in her blog in 2017. He alleges that she has since reinforced these claims in interviews, social media, and a documentary.
Carter maintains that the sexual encounter was consensual and that Schuman's allegations are an attempt to revive her "waning career" and damage his reputation. Schuman's lawyer responded to Carter's countersuit, telling "People" in a statement: "Carter's countersuit in California repeats the same arguments as his stalled lawsuit in Nevada, and both show that his defense against sexual assault allegations consists of attacking the victims." The Nevada case involves Shannon Ruth, who also accused Carter of sexual assault that allegedly occurred in 2001 after a concert.
Carter Takes Legal Action Against Docuseries
Ruth and Schuman appear in the documentary "Fallen Idols: Aaron and Nick Carter," which was released in May. The four-part series features interviews with the two women and Ashley Repp, all of whom accuse Carter of sexual assault. Carter has initiated legal action against the docuseries. "These are the same shameless allegations that led us to sue this cabal of conspirators," Carter's lawyer Dale Hayes Jr. told "The Hollywood Reporter." "We are confident that we will prevail and hold them accountable for spreading these falsehoods."
The counter lawsuit filed by Nick Carter against Melissa Schuman was initiated at the Court of First Instance in California. Regarding the documentary "Fallen Idols: Aaron and Nick Carter," Carter has also taken legal action against its producers, citing the spread of false allegations against him.
