Singer Melissa Schuman Moves Forward With Sexual Assault Appeal Against Nick Carter: Details

Nick Carter was accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl multiple times in 2003, as claimed in a new lawsuit. However, the “I Want It That Way” singer has denied the allegations made against him by her and fellow accusers Shannon “Shay” Ruth and Melissa Schuman, leaving people with more questions than answers.

What Was Nick Carter Accused ​of in His Sexual Assault Case?

In a lawsuit filed ​by the now-adult plaintiff on August 28 in Clark County District Court in Las Vegas, Nevada, Carter was accused of sexually assaulting a then-15-year-old girl from Pennsylvania on multiple occasions in 2003. The Backstreet Boys member was 22 and 23 years old at the time of the alleged incidents.

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The victim, who is identified as A.R. in the lawsuit, claimed Carter raped her in a bedroom on his yacht, while he also allegedly “instructed A.R. to keep his sexual abuse of her a secret.” In another alleged incident, the New York native was accused of sexually assaulting A.R. on a bus and “knowingly [providing] alcohol and drugs to then-minor A.R.”​

The lawsuit went on to accuse Carter of ​allegedly infected A.R. with human papillomavirus, also known as HPV, according to the lawsuit.

Sexual battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent infliction of emotional distress are listed as the causes of action for the lawsuit.

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Did Nick Carter’s Alleged Victim Report the Sexual Assault?

A.R. reported the alleged assaults to her mother, who then told authorities in Pennsylvania. Carter was never charged with a crime in connection to the alleged incidents.

Has Nick Carter Responded to the Sexual Assault Allegations?

Carter’s lawyer, Dale Hayes Jr., denied the claims while issuing a statement to TMZ on August 29. According to the attorney, authorities investigated A.R.’s claims when she first reported them, and no merit was found to move forward with charges. In a statement to In Touch, Hayes reiterated, “Nick is looking forward to the evidence being presented and the truth about these malicious schemes coming to light.”

Has Nick Carter Been Accused of Sexual Assault in the Past?

A.R.’s claims are not the first time Carter has been accused of sexual assault.

In December 2022, Shannon “Shay” Ruth filed a lawsuit claiming that Carter gave her alcohol, raped her and threatened her if she told anyone. She was 17 at the time of the ​alleged incident in 2001, while Carter was 21.

After she filed the lawsuit, Carter issued a statement denying that the assault took place. His attorney, Michael Holtz, told In Touch ​at the time that the claims were “entirely untrue” and were “legally meritless.”

“Unfortunately, for several years now, Ms. Ruth has been manipulated into making false allegations about Nick – and those allegations have changed repeatedly and materially over time,” Holtz continued. “There is nothing to this claim whatsoever, which we have no doubt the courts will quickly realize.”

What Did Melissa Schuman Accuse Nick Carter of?

Singer Melissa Schuman claimed Carter raped her in 2003. Carter denied the allegations, while Schuman never filed charges before the statute of limitations expired.

“Melissa never expressed to me while we were together or at any time since that anything we did was not consensual,” the MTV Video Music Award winner said in 2018 after it was confirmed he wouldn’t be charged in the case.

However, April 2023 brought a new element to the case, as Melissa sued Carter for sexual assault in the state of California. In her complaint, Melissa claimed that Carter drugged and raped her “over and over” despite her wish to wait until marriage to have sex. The Backstreet Boys star proceeded to file a countersuit against Melissa for defamation filed in Nevada, and she responded with a motion to block him. While the judge did side with Carter and found sufficient evidence for his defamation suit to carry forward, September brought yet another layer of legal complication.

Melissa and her father filed an anti-SLAPP motion in response to Carter’s defamation case, which the Nevada court denied, ruling that Carter’s lawsuit still meets the criteria to move forward. Melissa quickly appealed the ruling, with attorney Karen Barth Menzies stating about the decision, “The ruling in the Nevada case was a procedural decision that did not involve an assessment of the merits of any evidence, and it has no bearing on Melissa’s California claim.”

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For her part, Melissa said of the decision, “Nick turned in his homework and wants the world to believe he got an ‘A’ when in fact, it hasn’t even been graded yet. To twist the outcome of this ruling to suggest that he won his conspiracy case against me, or I have lost my sexual assault case against him, is simply wrong.  It’s a desperate attempt to use his celebrity media access to mislead the public and scare survivors. I stand in the truth that Nick Carter sexually assaulted me, and I believe he has also sexually assaulted or abused others based on disclosures said to me personally and prior police reports filed in that manner. I look forward to proving my case in a court of law.”

Representatives for Nick Carter did not immediately respond to In Touch‘s request for comment.

If you or anyone you know has been sexually abused, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential, judgment-free support as well as local resources to assist in healing, recovering and more.