In a recent court filing, former pop singer Melissa Schuman has disclosed that a new accuser has come forward in the ongoing sexual assault case against Nick Carter, member of the Backstreet Boys. The revelation comes after the airing of the docuseries Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter, in which Schuman detailed her alleged rape by Nick Carter in 2003.
According to Schuman’s lawyer, Karen Barth Menzies, the new accuser reached out to Schuman privately after watching the docuseries. The accuser provided specific details and identified herself, making her claims appear credible. While the exact nature of the alleged assault is not disclosed, it is said to have occurred after 2003.
Schuman’s lawyer suggests that the new accuser may eventually provide testimony in support of Schuman’s litigation. This information was presented to the court to demonstrate that accusers continue to come forward, countering Carter’s argument for a suspension of Schuman’s lawsuit in California. Carter claims that Schuman and another accuser, Shannon “Shay” Ruth, conspired to falsely accuse him for financial gain.
Carter’s lawyers have vehemently denied the allegations, asserting that Schuman and Ruth engaged in a five-year plot to harass, defame, and extort him. They argue that the facts in both cases are identical. However, Schuman and her lawyers dispute this, emphasizing that a victory in the defamation case would not provide the same relief as her separate sexual assault claim.
The filing also mentions a sexual assault lawsuit filed by a third accuser, Ashley Repp, last August. Repp alleges that Carter raped her multiple times in Florida when she was 15 years old and he was 23. The lawyers representing Repp state that a Jane Doe recently testified under oath that Carter had raped her twice in 2005. The identity of this new accuser, deposed by Ruth’s attorneys, remains unknown to Schuman.
Schuman urges the California judge to reject Carter’s alleged stalling tactics, arguing that he is attempting to exhaust his victims through litigation. She and her lawyers assert that Carter’s motion would cause harmful and unnecessary delays in her case and should be denied. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for July 10.
It is important to note that Schuman, Ruth, and Repp all participated in the Fallen Idols docuseries, which premiered on May 27. Carter’s lawyers have criticized the women’s on-camera interviews, claiming that they are spreading falsehoods. The Nevada court has denied requests by Schuman and Ruth to dismiss Carter’s defamation claims, ruling that their allegations are protected free speech.
As the legal battles continue, more women have accused Carter of sexual assault, both before and after Schuman’s alleged assault in 2003. Schuman’s filing argues that Carter is manipulating the legal process and recycling failed arguments to stall the litigation.
