Backstreet Boys Member Sued For An Alleged Rape
In the wake of his younger brother Aaron’s unexpected death last month, Nick Carter has had quite a bit on his plate. Now, things are fixing to get a lot worse for the musician, as according to The Hollywood Reporter, he has had a civil sexual battery lawsuit filed against him. The lawsuit was filed Thursday, December 8, and it alleges that the Backstreet Boys member raped a 17-year-old fan after a concert over 20 years ago.
According to the lawsuit, which was filed in a Nevada court, Shannon “Shay” Ruth claims Nick Carter selected her from a group of women hoping to get the artist’s autograph following a concert in Tacoma, Washington in 2001. She alleges he brought her aboard the tour bus and gave her an alcoholic beverage known as “VIP juice.” After that, Ruth says she was repeatedly assaulted by the musician, with the alleged attack leaving her infected with the sexually-transmitted disease HPV (human papillomavirus).
Ruth, who is now 39 years old, claims to have waited more than two decades to report the incident because she was fearful of retaliation from Nick Carter. According to the complaint written by her lawyer, the artist threatened her with jailtime if she blabbed to anybody about the attack. He allegedly used his star power to intimidate her into keeping her mouth shut.
During a press conference held with her lawyers in a Facebook livestream, Ruth claimed that what Nick Carter did to her has affected her life more than being autistic or living with cerebral palsy. She alleged that the assault has caused her endless pain, shame, and frustration for the past 21 years. She even claimed she’s harmed herself because of the musician’s alleged attack on her.
In addition to Ruth, the lawsuit was filed on behalf of three other accusers, whose names weren’t mentioned. All three women claim to have experienced similar sexual attacks by Nick Carter from 2003 to 2006. The complaint alleges that like Ruth, they were also given alcoholic beverages before the musician assaulted them.
This isn’t the first time Nick Carter has been accused of sexual assault. In 2017, Melissa Schuman alleged she was sexual attacked by the 42-year-old artist in 2003. He denied the accusations, and following an investigation, prosecutors in Los Angeles decided not to charge him because the 10-year statute of limitations had expired.
At one time, Nick Carter was labeled a “serial rapist” by his brother Aaron, who compared the Backstreet Boys member to Jeffrey Epstein in a series of tweets. The two brothers had been in a vicious feud at the time. Prior to his death on November 5, Aaron had stated he hoped to repair his relationship with his brother.
Nick Carter has yet to address the new accusations brought against him. He and the rest of the Backstreet Boys are currently performing on their DNA World Tour, which began May 11, 2019, and will conclude May 11, 2023. It will be interesting to see if the sexual assault allegations have any impact on the tour.
