Nick Carter is being sued for sexual battery.
The 42-year-old Backstreet Boys member is facing a sexual battery lawsuit stemming from an alleged encounter with a fan back in 2001. He was named in a lawsuit that was filed by Shannon “Shay” Ruth, 39, in Clark County, Nevada.
Shannon detailed the encounter, which according to her happened after a concert in Washington. She was 17 at the time, and Nick was 21. She said Nick invited her to visit his tour bus. Once there, he gave her what she believed to be an alcoholic beverage — and then he allegedly forced her to engage in sexual acts.
In the lawsuit, she says she “begged him to stop” and that Nick told her it would be their “special secret.”
Shannon, who has autism and cerebral palsy, spoke out in a press conference, stating:
‘Even though I’m autistic and live with cerebral palsy, I believe nothing has affected me more… than what Nick Carter did to me.”
She said that he became “nasty and threatening” then. She also said that she was diagnosed with HPV following their encounter.
A source denied the allegations, telling TMZ:
“This accusation is categorically false, Nick is focusing on his family and mourning the death of his brother.”
Back in 2017, Nick was also accused of sexual misconduct. Singer Melissa Schuman claims he raped her. He has also denied this.
Nick has issued a response to the lawsuit from Shannon. His team said in a statement that was shared to Page Six:
“This claim about an incident that supposedly took place more than 20 years ago is not only legally meritless but also entirely untrue.
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. 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.”
