Backstreet Boys Christmas Special Canceled After Nick Carter Is Accused of Rape
Photo by Jeff Kravitz/2019 iHeartMedia Reading Time: 2 minutes
The Backstreet Boys’ Christmas special has been canceled after band member Nick Carter was accused of raping a 17-year-old in 2001. Carter’s attorney has released a statement denying the claims.
Nick Carter Accused of Raping 17-Year-Old in 2001
Carter, who has competed on both Dancing with the Stars and The Masked Singer, is being sued for sexual battery. According to TMZ, Shannon Ruth claims she was invited on the Backstreet Boys’ tour bus in 2001, when she was 17 and that Carter sexually assaulted her.
Ruth, who has autism and cerebral palsy, claims that Carter called her a “r*tarded little b*tch.” She also says that she contracted HPV after the alleged assault, and she’s seeking damages. In a statement, Carter’s attorney Michael Holtz called Ruth’s accusations “not only legally meritless but also entirely untrue.”
Holtz added, “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.”
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Backstreet Boys Christmas Special Canceled
Following Thursday’s allegations, Variety reports that ABC has pulled the Backstreet Boys’ Christmas special, A Very Backstreet Holiday. The special was filmed earlier this month in Los Angeles.
The group released a Christmas album, called A Very Backstreet Christmas, in October. The canceled special, which was scheduled to air on December 14, would have featured all five members (Carter, AJ McLean, Kevin Richardson, Brian Littrell, and Howie Dorough), as well as guests such as Seth Rogen, Meghan Trainor, and Nikki Glaser.
TMZ points out that Carter has been accused of rape in the past. In 2017, Melissa Schuman (a former member of the band Dream) alleged that Carter raped her in 2002, when she was 18 and he was 22. However, Carter has never been charged.
