BACKSTREET Boys star Nick Carter has been granted a major win in his fight against sexual assault allegations made against him over two decades ago.
The Nevada Supreme Court took Carter’s side on Tuesday, ruling the singer was likely defamed in what he said was an alleged conspiracy between two of his accusers and his late brother, Aaron Carter.
GettyNick Carter of the Backstreet Boys at iHeartRadio’s Jingle Ball in December 2022[/caption] Getty - ContributorMelissa Schuman at the My2k tour launch in Los Angeles in April 2016[/caption] The Mega AgencyShannon Ruth announcing a lawsuit against Nick Carter in San Jose, California in December 2022[/caption]Carter can now move forward in a countersuit involving sexual assault allegations by two of his accusers, Shannon “Shay” Ruth and Melissa Schuman.
According to the ruling, Carter claims Schuman and her dad manipulated Ruth into making her claims against him, according to CBS affiliate KLAS-TV.
Carter’s team also claimed Schuman and her dad “fabricated Melissa’s sexual assault allegations,” court documents said.
The ruling said Carter claimed the Schumans worked with Ruth and Aaron in a conspiracy “to defame and extort him.”
The Supreme Court backed up the Las Vegas district court’s decision to deny Schuman’s attempt at dismissing Carter’s countersuit in November.
The Schumans tried to argue Carter couldn’t prove they meant to cause harm through Schuman’s claim, which is a typical argument in defamation cases.
However, the ruling said Carter provided “ample” evidence to back up his claims of defamation, extortion, and conspiracy.
“All of this evidence, when viewed in the light most favorable to Carter arguably demonstrate that the sexual interactions between him and Melissa were consensual, that Melissa knew she was not sexually assaulted, and that the Schumans, Ruth, and Aaron conspired to defame Carter,” the justices wrote.
“We conclude that Carter provided sufficient evidence that, if believed, shows that the [Schumans] published defamatory statements with knowledge that they were false or with reckless disregard for their veracity.”
Ruth, an autistic Backstreet Boys fan with cerebral palsy, accused Carter of raping her on a tour bus in 2001 when he was 21 and she was 17 in a lawsuit filed in December 2022.
She alleged that Carter gave her alcohol, raped her, and threatened her if she told anyone, court documents said.
Carter denied all the allegations.
“This claim about an incident that supposedly took place more than 20 years ago is not only legally meritless but also entirely untrue,” Michael Holtz, Carter’s attorney, said in a statement shared with The Sun in 2022.
“Unfortunately, for several years now, Ms. Ruth has been manipulated into making false allegations about Nick – and those allegations have changed repeatedly and materially over time.
The Schumans and their co-conspirators have run out of excuses and will finally be held accountable for their protracted campaign to defame and extort Mr. Carter.”
Attorneys Liane Wakayama and Dale Hayes Jr.KLAS-TV“No one should be fooled by a press stunt orchestrated by an opportunistic lawyer – there is nothing to this claim whatsoever, which we have no doubt the courts will quickly realize.”
Schuman, who sang in the 2000s girl group Dream, accused Carter of rape in April 2023, according to court documents.
Carter has maintained their encounter was consensual.
He filed a counterclaim against Ruth and Schuman in February 2023, saying the women took advantage of the #MeToo movement to scheme against him.
Ruth and Schuman’s attorneys haven’t responded to The U.S. Sun’s request for comment.
Following Tuesday’s ruling, Carter’s attorneys Liane Wakayama and Dale Hayes Jr., shared a statement about the win.
“The Schumans and their co-conspirators have run out of excuses and will finally be held accountable for their protracted campaign to defame and extort Mr. Carter,” the attorneys said.
A trial in Las Vegas district court is scheduled for February 2026.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
GettySchuman at TheWrap’s Power Women Summit in Los Angeles in November 2018[/caption] Read More Details
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