Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter was accused of raping a 17-year-old fan on his tour bus in 2001.
Shannon “Shay” Ruth, now 39, filed a civil lawsuit against the 42-year-old singer in a Nevada court yesterday (Thursday, December 8). Billboard.
The woman said she waited more than 20 years to come forward for fear of retaliation.
In the suit, she said Carter picked her out of a group of female fans seeking autographs after a Backstreet Boys show in Tacoma, Washington. According to the alleged victim, he then brought her to the bus, gave her an alcoholic drink – which he called “VIP juice” – and assaulted her several times.
Ruth’s lawyers wrote in the complaint: “He told the plaintiff that if she told anyone about what happened between them, she would go to jail.
“He said he was Nick Carter and that he had the power to do so. Due to his various threats, the plaintiff did not report Carter’s crimes for many years.
According to the lawsuit, Ruth contracted the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV) as a result of the alleged assault.
The lawsuit was also filed by Carter on behalf of three other unnamed defendants who suffered similar assaults between 2003 and 2006. It is alleged that all three of these women were provided with alcohol before they were forced to have sex with the singer.
One of those three accusers was a minor like Ruth at the time.
Carter’s attorney, Michael Holtz, denied the allegations in a statement Billboard.
“This allegation of an incident that took place more than 20 years ago is not only legally unfounded, it is completely false,” he said.
“Unfortunately, for several years Ms. Ruth has been manipulated into making false allegations about Nick – and these allegations have changed repeatedly and materially over time.
Holtz added: “No one should be fooled by a press stunt orchestrated by an opportunistic lawyer – there is nothing wrong with this claim, and we have no doubt the courts will quickly deal with it.”
According to the lawsuit, Carter took Ruth to the bathroom and demanded oral sex from her after she finished drinking. “The plaintiff, alone and under duress, reluctantly complied with his request. “The plaintiff cried during the test,” he said.
According to Ruth, the singer then took her to another room on the tour bus and “pushed the plaintiff onto the bed and proceeded to ride her”.
She claims she “begged to stop” and tried to run away, but “every time she tried to get up saying ‘No,’ Carter got angry and pushed her harder.”
After the attack, Carter grabbed Ruth, calling her a “black bitch” and telling her that no one would believe her story. According to the complaint, the victim has autism and cerebral palsy.
In 2017, Nick Carter denied rape allegations by former Dream singer Melissa Shuman, describing himself as “shocked and upset” by the allegations and saying he thought their sex was “consensual”. did it.
Shuman later confirmed that he filed a police report against the singer.
For help, advice or more information about sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAIN.