Nick Carter’s Sexual Assault Accuser Melissa Schuman Fights Pop Star’s Attempt to Dismiss California Lawsuit
Nick's accuser is back in court.
Jan. 5 2024, Published 10:30 a.m. ET
One of the women suing Nick Carter for alleged sexual assault demanded the Backstreet Boys star NOT be allowed to move her case to California — and argued many witnesses who will be called to testify live in the state.
According to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, Melissa Schuman asked a Los Angeles Superior Court judge to deny Carter’s motion seeking to dismiss the case in California and move it to Nevada.
In her lawsuit, Schuman, who was a member of the girl group Dream, accused Carter of sexual assault at an apartment in Santa Monica, California in 2002.
Schuman would have been 18 and Carter was 22. In court documents, she accused Carter of taking her virginity despite her pleading with him.
Schuman reported the incident to police in 2017 but no charges were ever brought against Carter.
Carter denied all allegations he assaulted Schuman.
Nick and Shannon.
Before Schuman filed her lawsuit, a woman named Shannon Ruth sued the Backstreet Boys star over an alleged assault in 2001. The case was filed in Nevada court.
Ruth, who has autism and cerebral palsy, claimed she attended one of the boy band’s concerts and was invited back to Carter’s tour bus. She claimed Carter had her drink and then forced her to perform oral sex on him.
Carter denied the accusations and said he had witnesses to prove the accusations were false.
The singer’s lawyer said, “This claim about an incident that supposedly took place more than 20 years ago is not only legally meritless but also entirely untrue."
In early 2023, Carter countersued Ruth, Schuman, and Schuman’s father Jerome for $2.3 million. He accused Schuman and her father of coaching Ruth on what to say in court. He accused the trio of attempting to extort him before they filed.
Recently, Carter demanded Schuman’s case be dismissed from California and heard in Nevada with Ruth’s case. He argued he had sued Schuman in Nevada and it would make sense to have both cases in Nevada.
“All parties and important witnesses are residents of Nevada. There is essentially zero connection between this lawsuit and California,” he argued. Carter said all the witnesses, including Schuman, live in Nevada.
Melissa Schuman
Now, Schuman filed her objection to his motion. She said. “In an effort to avoid accountability for the sexual assault and cover-up alleged in this case, Defendants attempt to divert the Court’s attention away from the facts in this case.”
“The overwhelming majority of pertinent facts occurred in California and most of the witnesses are in California, not Nevada,” her filing read. “Plaintiff’s roommate and childhood friend and Defendant Carter’s friend were in the apartment in Santa Monica the night Defendant Carter sexually assaulted Plaintiff; and right after the assault, Plaintiff informed her manager (who made arrangements to keep Plaintiff away from Defendant Carter while on set), her roommate, her mother, and another actor – all of whom are located in Los Angeles County," her motion read.
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In addition, she argued, “if [Schuman] is forced to litigate her California claims in Nevada, she would have to hire Nevada attorneys to represent her. Defendants ignore this factor because their counsel includes attorneys in both California and Nevada, which shows Defendants are not inconvenienced by litigation in California.”
A judge has yet to rule on the motion.
