"Dream" Singer Melissa Schuman Files Lawsuit Against Nick Carter for Sexual Assault and Battery
Trigger Warning: This article contains themes of sexual assault and abuse that some readers may find distressing. Reader discretion is advised.
Singer Melissa Schuman has filed a lawsuit against Backstreet Boys member, Nick Carter, on grounds of sexual assault and battery, Page Six reported.
Schuman recalled how Carter, who was then 21 years old, forced her to reciprocate with oral sex when she'd just turned 18. The trauma didn't stop there unfortunately for young Schuman, reports TMZ. In November 2017, she was allegedly raped in Carter's residence even though she pleaded with him to let her go as she was "saving herself for marriage." Schuman reports how the "Harvey Weinstein Allegations" were a huge trigger for her.
In February of the same year, the Dream alum even tried getting legal respite following the incident. In hopes that Carter would face criminal charges, she filed a report with the Santa Monica Police Department. Sadly, her plea went unheard as the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office declined to prosecute as the statute of limitations with respect to her incident had expired.
Earlier this year, however, a Californian law came back into effect which reinstates sexual assault claims and favors an extension for the statute of limitations. There may yet exist a glimmer of hope for Schuman that justice may be served.
On her 35th birthday, Schuman took to Instagram and reflected on the aftermath of the trauma inflicted on her by Nick Carter. Recalling how much she despised her 20s, she pondered over what went wrong during that period of her life. The singer said that enduring abuse in her late teens left her feeling hopeless about ever recovering from it. Previously, she found it difficult to confide in others about her struggles, but now she considers herself an "open book". Schuman expressed her gratitude for the kind birthday wishes and declared her excitement for a new year full of opportunities, regardless of the challenges that may come her way.
The plot thickens from Nick Carter's point of view on this issue because he outright refused allegations of non-consensual sexual advances made against him and filed a countersuit for Defamation and extortion against Schuman. The countersuit also includes Shannon Ruth who is believed sued Carter for allegedly raping her on a tour bus in 2001 when she was just 17 years old. According to reports by Carter, some believe that the two are involved in conspiring against him.
After claims were made in court against Carter, his lawyer Liane K. Wakayama strongly expressed her opinions of the case and on how Schuman's been "peddling this tale for several years." She explained: "They were false then [in 2017] and are false now." She continues to reassure them that such pathetic PR stunts won't shake Carter from his determination to sue Ms. Schuman and her co-conspirators which caused immeasurable pain and impact on Carter and his family.
If you are being subjected to sexual assault, or know of anyone who is, please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673)
