Nick Carter is being sued by a woman who alleges he sexually assaulted her in a 2001 lawsuit Backstreet Boys tour.
According to legal documents obtained by TMZ on Thursday, a woman named Shannon Ruth (pictured above) is suing the singer over an incident that allegedly happened when she was just a teenager. After a concert in Tacoma, Washington, the documents allege, a 17-year-old with autism and cerebral palsy was queuing up for autographs. That’s when Shannon said Nick invited her back on the tour bus.
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The 38-year-old said in her statement that Carter offered her a drink and she asked for apple juice, to which he allegedly replied that he had only what he called. “VIP juice”. She thought the drink tasted weird but still drank it out of politeness – she now believes the drink is a mix of cranberry juice and alcohol.
According to the documents, Backstreet Boy then took her to the bathroom, where he forced her to perform oral sex on him. Shannon said she cried during this time, but instead of stopping, the then 22-year-old took her to bed and continued to sexually assault her. She claims she didn’t tell anyone about the incident because when she said she was going to see her alleged abuser, she said she was a “bitch.” r*******,” that no one would believe her, and that she would go to jail if she opened her mouth. She emotionally told the judge in a statement shared by KTLA 5:
“Carter tried to silence me by saying that no one would believe me if I told what happened. He was very upset and threatened, saying I would go to jail if I told him. He also said he would turn people against me because he was Nick Carter and had the power to ruin my life. Carter took away my childhood and my innocence, but he can’t and won’t take away my strength or my truth.”
See Shannon’s statement (below):
The woman confirmed she was a virgin at the time of the incident and had contracted the HPV virus from the male singer, through documents. She’s currently suing him for sexual abuse and willfully and negligently causing emotional distress – but a source close to Nick insists the assault never took place.
Based on TMZAn insider said:
“This accusation is clearly false, Nick is focusing on his family and mourning his brother’s death.”
This is not the first time the singer has been accused of sexual assault. You probably remember the year 2017 singer Melissa Schuman brought charges against him, but he insists whatever happened between the then 18- and 22-year-old couple was entirely consensual. He has never been charged with any crime and as of 2018, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office dismissed the case due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.
Lots of information to take in. Response, readers of Perezcious?
[Image via DJDM/WENN.com/KTLA 5/YouTube]
