LEGAL BATTLE

Nick Carter Is Now Suing Woman Accusing Him of Sexual Assault

The Backstreet Boy is seeking $2.5 million for alleged defamation after Melissa Schuman sued him in 2023.

Nick Carter is going after a woman who sued him for sexual assault and is seeking $2.5 million for defamation. Carter’s countersuit comes after Melissa Schuman sued the Backstreet Boys singer for an alleged 2003 assault in April of last year. The two were working on a horror film together when the incident reportedly occurred. People magazine reports that in Carter’s counterclaim, he says Schuman made false statements and defamed him by calling him a rapist on different platforms. He even adds that the former Dream singer did so to reinvigorate her “dwindling career.” In his suit, Carter denies all of Schuman’s accusations and asserts that their encounter was consensual. Shannon Ruth, a woman who previously sued the Backstreet Boy for sexual assault, was also brought up in the filing. “Carter’s California counter-claim makes the same arguments as his stalled Nevada lawsuit, and both show that his approach to defend sexual assault claims is to attack the victims,” Schuman’s attorney told the magazine.