Former Dream singer Melissa Schuman is suing Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter for sexual assault and battery, alleging that he performed oral sex on her against her will and then proceeded to take her virginity in 2003 when she was 18 and he was 22. Carter has repeatedly denied the allegations and has filed a countersuit against Schuman and another woman for defamation and extortion. Schuman hopes her lawsuit will send a message to the music industry that sexual predators can no longer be enabled and protected.
Former Dream singer Melissa Schuman is suing Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter for alleged sexual assault and battery, claiming he performed unwanted oral sex on her before forcing her to reciprocate and taking her virginity against her wishes in 2003.
Former Dream singer Melissa Schuman has filed a lawsuit against Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter for sexual assault and battery. According to court papers obtained by Page Six, Schuman alleged that in 2003, when she was 18 and Carter was 22, he performed oral sex on her against her will before forcing her to reciprocate. She also claimed that Carter proceeded to take her virginity, despite her telling him she was saving herself for marriage.
Schuman had initially accused Carter of raping her at his apartment in Santa Monica in November 2017. She later filed a report with the Santa Monica Police Department, but criminal charges were not pursued due to the statute of limitations. However, a new California law extended the statute of limitations for reporting sexual assault claims. Carter has denied Schuman’s allegations multiple times and filed a countersuit for defamation and extortion against her and another woman who accused him of rape on a tour bus in 2001.
Carter’s attorney, Liane K. Wakayama, released a statement saying that Schuman’s allegations were false and that there were “strong grounds for Nick Carter to proceed with his lawsuit against Ms. Schuman for plotting to damage, defame and extort Nick, his associates, his friends, and his family.” However, Schuman is standing by her claims and said that she is fighting to make the music industry a safer place for performers and workers.
The case reinforces the need for legal protections for victims of sexual assault and the importance of extending the statute of limitations to allow more time for survivors to come forward. It also highlights the need for accountability in the music industry and other industries where sexual predators may be protected by powerful figures.