Nick Carter filed a defamation lawsuit against his sexual assault accusers, claiming the allegations were just an attempt to extort money from him.
In 2022, the Backstreet Boys member became broiled in horrific allegations when a woman named Shannon Ruth alleged he assaulted her when she was 17. The woman joined other accusers who claimed the singer had abused them at a young age.
According to new legal documents obtained by The Blast, Carter is suing the group for defamation noting he would not allow his name to be smeared by opportunists. He named his accusers — Ruth, Melissa Schuman Henschel, Jerome Schuman, A.R., and Doe @ElaineMoo Twitter Account Holder — as co-conspirators trying to “extort” money from him.
Nick Carter Claims Sexual Assault Case Is Attempt To Extort Money From Him
However, Carter has vehemently denied these allegations with his latest suit claiming the sexual assault case was a conspiracy orchestrated to harass him. He plans to clear his name and wants these alleged victims to pay a hefty price for their accusations. His lawsuit reads:
“Ruth and A.R.s’ lawsuits are the culmination of an approximate five-year conspiracy orchestrated by Co-Conspirators to harass, defame, and extort Carter. The campaign was launched and bolstered by the #MeToo movement.”
The documents noted the drama began when Schuman posted a “salacious blog entry” in November 2017 where she accused Carter of sexually assaulting her in 2003. Once her allegations came to light, the singer claimed she, her father, and Jerome recruited Ruth and A.R. into their defamation scheme.
Schuman and Jerome allegedly groomed and coached Ruth to escalate her story from being bullied and physically harmed by Carter to being sexually assaulted. The legal filing accused the co-conspirators of previously attempting to extort money from him through civil attorneys.
However, the suit claimed these lawyers abandoned their client’s pursuit after being presented with the evidence after re-examining their allegations. The Backstreet Boys singer also refused to negotiate with the alleged victims, a move he claims made them increase their “harassment.”
“Thereafter, Schuman, Ruth, A.R., and Jerome snowballed their defamatory campaign into accusing Carter and others of participating in “cover-ups” and “victim bullying,” the documents explained.
The lawsuit mentions the accuser’s use of his late brother, Aaron Carter, who was struggling with drug addiction and mental health issues at the time.
“In the months leading up to his recent death, Aaron not only apologized to Carter for his involvement in the [accusers] smear campaign but publicly stated that [accusers] were liars,” the suit continued, adding:
“Aaron also confirmed and exposed [them] underlying conspiracy to defame and extort Carter, stating, ‘Melissa Schuman incited a plan with her father to use me and my platform.’”
Carter is demanding damages of $2,350,000 for emotional distress, punitive damages, and attorney’s fees.
