Nick Carter denies Melissa Schuman's rape accusation
Nick Carter is denying allegations by singer Melissa Schuman, who says Carter raped her when she was 18.
The former star of the girl group Dream wrote a disturbing blog post alleging that the Backstreet Boys star forced himself on her at his Santa Monica apartment when he was 22.
Schuman wrote a graphic account of the alleged incident. She said that Carter forced oral sex onto her in a bathroom and then coerced her into reciprocating. Then she said though she told him she did not want to have sex, he pinned her down in a bedroom and raped her vaginally. Schuman said she felt trapped because Carter was bigger than her.
Carter said in a statement on Wednesday, "I am shocked and saddened by Ms. Schuman's accusations. Melissa never expressed to me while we were together or at any time since that anything we did was not consensual. We went on to record a song and perform together, and I was always respectful and supportive of Melissa both personally and professionally."
He also said, "This is the first that I am hearing about these accusations, nearly two decades later ... It is contrary to my nature and everything I hold dear to intentionally cause someone discomfort or harm."
In her blog post, Schuman said that she told her manager, Nils Larsen, that she wanted to press charges against Carter, but was told later that Carter had "the most powerful litigator in the country" and that her name would be smeared in the press. She said she decided against pursuing charges because she was focused on building her career.
Her band, Dream, was best known for the 2000 song "He Loves U Not." Schuman said she decided to come forward after seeing "victim-shaming" comments on a Radar post that claimed Carter was once investigated for sexually assaulting a fan.
"I feel I have an obligation now to come forward with the hope and intention to inspire and encourage other victims to tell their story," she said. "We are stronger in numbers. If you are reading this and you have been assaulted, know you don't have to be silent and you are not alone. I know it's scary. I'm scared."
The Backstreet Boys launched a residency in Las Vegas this year and have concert planned for next year.