Nick Carter's Sexual Assault Accuser Slams Alleged 'Delay Tactic' as Boy Bander Fights to Put Explosive Lawsuit on Hold
Nick Carter fired back at one of his sexual assault accusers by filing a counter-suit claiming she sued him in 'a despicable bid at recapturing fame'.
Nick Carter is doubling down on his bid for a California judge to put Melissa Schuman's sexual assault lawsuit against him on hold as the two battle it out in a bitter back-and-forth.
In court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, the former Backstreet Boy insisted his request to pause the case was made on legitimate grounds after his alleged rape victim called it “another procedural tactic to delay his requirement to respond to [the] allegations in a court of law.”
The former Dream member called Carter's motion to put the case on hold "another procedural delay tactic."
Schuman, 39, alleged the former boy band member, 44, raped her in 2003 when she was part of the girl group Dream. She accused Carter, who was 21 at the time, of violently taking her virginity when she was 18 and giving her HPV. Carter admitted to having had sexual intercourse with Schuman, but he claimed the encounter was consensual.
She sued last April over alleged sexual battery, sexual assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligence. She accused Carter of using "his role, status, and power as a well-known singer to gain access to, groom, manipulate, exploit, and sexually assault" her.
She also claimed that after she went public with the allegations during the #MeToo movement, Carter and several of his associates launched "a highly strategized cyber-stalking and harassment campaign" to silence her.
Schuman accused Carter of raping her when he was a member of the Backstreet Boys in 2003.
Her lawyers said in a court filing on June 26 that this alleged "cover-up" has continued "to this day through victim shaming, harassment, and online attacks in the media and on social media." Specifically, Schuman accused Carter's "personal friend" Eddie Meehan — who "acted as Carter's agent" — of encouraging his fans to "engage in internet intimidation" to "blame, harass and discredit [her] online."
Schuman's filing came in response to Carter's motion in April asking the judge to pause the matter until the resolution of his Nevada defamation suit against Shannon Ruth, who has also accused him of sexual assault.
Carter has denied all sexual assault allegations.
- Nick Carter Sues Sexual Assault Accuser Melissa Schuman for $2.5M — and Brands Her Lawsuit a ‘Despicable Bid at Recapturing Fame’
- Nick Carter Diagnosed With PTSD Amid Sex Assault Allegations Hell, Therapist Tells Judge
- Nick Carter’s Mom Suffers Setback in Custody Battle Over Late Daughter’s 9-Year-Old
DAILY. BREAKING. CELEBRITY NEWS. ALL FREE.
Ruth filed a lawsuit against Carter in December 2022 in Clark County, Nevada, alleging he sexually assaulted her on his tour bus after a Backstreet Boys concert in 2001. Carter filed his counterclaim against her in 2023, adding Schuman as a defendant who he claimed was part of an alleged conspiracy to defame him through sexual misconduct allegations.
His lawyers argued that the facts from each case were "identical" and that "Carter's alleged assault of Ruth and Schuman are germane to both" lawsuits.
"Both lawsuits will be dispositively resolved when Carter establishes the falsity of Schuman and Ruths’ frivolous claims," Carter's legal team said.
Carter's motion will be discussed at a hearing on July 10.
However, Schuman's team disagreed that the cases were "identical," and claimed that Carter "ignores the many women who have accused him of sexual assaults that occurred before and after Schuman's assault in 2003."
"Defendant Carter’s argument tying the Nevada case to this case hinges on his false premise that Shannon Ruth is the only other survivor who has accused Defendant Carter of sexual assault," her lawyers wrote in their opposition.
"Requiring Schuman to wait until the Nevada case is over before she is allowed to litigate this case, as Defendants request, would perpetuate delay, harming [her] right to pursue her claims here," the filing continued.
"The Court should put an end to this delay," Schuman's attorneys demanded.
In a response on July 2, Carter's lawyers fired back, accusing Schuman of trying to "mislead and confuse the court" with statements they called "disingenuous and deliberately misleading."
"Schuman intentionally ignores the fact that the conspiracy and defamation claims asserted by Carter in the Nevada Lawsuit arise from Schuman's false allegations of sexual assault; the very same claims that form the basis of her Complaint," Carter's team argued.
A hearing has been scheduled to discuss Carter's motion on July 10.
Carter has denied all sexual assault allegations against him.
Powered by RedCircle