Nick Carter is heading back to the court! The American singer who is a member of the vocal group Backstreet Boys is currently being sued by former Dream singer Melissa Schuman for sexual assault and battery.
Schuman is taking Carter back to court nearly 5 years after she accused him of assaulting her. Keep scrolling further to know more details about the lawsuit filed by Melissa against Nick.
Nick Carter gets sued for sexual assault by Dream singer Melissa Schuman
As per the court documents obtained by the media outlet TMZ, Melissa accused Nick of assaulting her way back in 2002. At that point in time, he was 22 years old, meanwhile, she was only 18 years old.
In her lawsuit, Schuman claimed that Carter forcibly performed oral s*x on her, and then, made her reciprocate. The Dream singer alleged that after assaulting her, he took her virginity, even though she told him she was saving herself for marriage.
Melissa Schuman previously sued Nick Carter in 2017
In the year 2017, Melissa sued the pop star first for raping her at his home. At that time, while narrating the incident, she burst into tears. Then, Schuman, a member of the girl group Dream, spilled the beans on the harrowing incident.
She told Dr. Oz, “Well, since the Harvey Weinstein allegations came out, it was a big trigger for me. I started to notice that I had kind of suppressed a lot of the memories for years with all these other brave women coming forward.”
The He Loves U Not singer went on to say, “I started to notice I had a lot of anxiety manifesting in my body. That was really making it hard for me to just carry on, like every single day it was really impacting me mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.”
A couple of years after the alleged incident, the duo reunited for a performance. Then, Carter denied all the claims pressed against him by fellow musician Melissa Schuman.
At that time, Nick put out a statement that read, “I am shocked and saddened by Ms. Schuman’s accusations. Melissa never expressed to me while we were together or at any time since that anything we did was not consensual.”
The As Long As You Love Me hitmaker further added, “We went on to record a song and perform together, and I was always respectful and supportive of Melissa both personally and professionally. This is the first that I am hearing about these accusations, nearly two decades later. It is contrary to my nature and everything I hold dear to intentionally cause someone discomfort or harm.”
Then, Melissa told Dr. Oz that at first, she didn’t want to come forward and tell her story but a close pal of hers encouraged her to share her story with the world. She remembered, “Now is the time, there has been no other time in history that women have been able to stand up and speak out and be able to be supported.”
In February of the same year, Schuman filed a report with the Santa Monica Police Department. Then, she hoped that Nick would face criminal charges. However, her report was declined by Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office because the statute of limitations had expired.
Although, a California law that was implemented earlier this year, revived sexual assault claims and extended the statute of limitations for reporting them.
Nick denied the allegations of non-consensual sexual contact, and in February, he also filed a countersuit against Schuman and Shannon Ruth who in December 2022, sued him for allegedly raping her on a tour bus in 2001 when she was 17. In his lawsuit, the boy band crooner stated that two women were involved in a “conspiracy” against him.
What did Nick Carter’s lawyer have to say about Melissa Schuman’s claims?
After Nick took Melissa’s claims to the court, his lawyer, Liane K. Wakayama told Page Six, “Melissa Schuman has been peddling this tale for many years, but her allegation was false when she first made it back in 2017 — and it still is.”
The attorney further added, “A judge in Nevada recently ruled, after reviewing the extensive evidence we laid out, that there are 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.”
Liane concluded by saying, “In light of our progress in Nevada, this kind of response is at once both predictable and pathetic. But this PR stunt won’t shake Nick from his determination to hold Ms. Schuman and her co-conspirators to account for the immeasurable pain and suffering their extortionate conduct has caused.”
In a statement issued to The Post, Melissa Schuman said, “I’ve faced extraordinary backlash for standing up for myself; I am not the first, however, my intention is that I am the last.”
She further added, “It’s time that powerful figures in the music industry get the message that they can no longer afford to enable and protect sexual predators. I’m fighting to make the music industry a safer place to work and perform.”
A little bit about Melissa Schuman’s personal life
The Love Don’t Cost a Thing actress is a married woman now. She and her dancer husband Brandon Henschel tied the knot in the year 2006 and they have been together ever since then. The pair exchanged their vows on June 7, 2006, in San Diego, California.
In February 2010, Melissa and her husband announced that they were expecting their first child together. The Henschels welcomed their first child, a baby boy in July of the same year.
When we talk about the love life of Nick Carter, he walked down the aisle with his wife Lauren Kitt in the year 2014. The pair welcomed three kids together: one son and two daughters.
What is your take on the lawsuit filed by Melissa Schuman against Nick Carter? Kindly let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. Don’t forget to stay tuned with us for the latest updates from the world of showbiz.
