Nick Carter is suing two women who accused him of sexual assault.
According to documents obtained by Entertainment Tonight, the Backstreet Boys member is suing Shannon Ruth, who, in December 2022, accused him of sexually assaulting her decades ago when she was a minor.
Content warning: sexual assault
Ruth claimed that Carter sexually assaulted her following a concert in Tacoma, Wash., in 2001. The incident took place on Carter’s tour bus, where he allegedly assaulted her in the bedroom and bathroom.
In a statement given to Entertainment Tonight, Ruth’s attorney said, “Why should Nick Carter be believed with his long history of abusing females? A jury will weigh the evidence and decide.”
Carter is also suing Melissa Schuman and her father, Jerome Schuman. His suit claims the Schumans have been attempting to extort money from him and that the allegations have caused Carter’s band to lose millions in revenue.
The pop star is suing them for $2.3 million.
Carter claims both women conspired against him, and alleges both Ruth and Schuman have been working together for several years. In the documents, Carter claims Schuman and her father “were all too eager to welcome a groveling Ruth into their scheme.”
He also takes aim at the #MeToo movement in the suit.
In the filing, Carter alleges “the campaign was launched and bolstered by the #MeToo movement, beginning at its dawn, when Counter-Defendant Melissa Schuman posted a salacious blog entry in November 2017, falsely asserting that she had been sexually assaulted by Carter in 2003.”
If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual abuse or violence, help is available through the RAINN website. To speak to someone on the phone, dial 1-800-656-4673.