ABC Pulls Backstreet Boys Holiday Special Following Nick Carter Rape Allegations

ABC has pulled the plug on “A Very Backstreet Holiday,” the Christmas special filmed by the Backstreet Boys earlier this month, Variety reports. The show was initially scheduled to air on Dec. 14 but has been scrapped by the network following new sexual assault allegations against Nick Carter.

“A Very Backstreet Holiday” would have followed the release of the band’s first holiday-themed album, A Very Backstreet Christmas, shared in October. Along with Carter, AJ McLean, Kevin Richardson, Brian Littrell, and Howie Dorough were set to perform music from the album during the special. Seth Rogen, Meghan Trainor, Nikki Glaser, Ron Funches, and more were also scheduled to appear. A comedy special will run in its place.

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In a lawsuit filed Thursday and obtained by Rolling Stone, Carter was accused of raping a 17-year-old girl during the band’s 2001 tour.

The woman, Shannon “Shay” Ruth, claims that Carter gave her alcohol and raped her on a tour bus in 2001 when she was 17 years old. He would have been 21 years old at the time. After the suit was filed in Clark County, Nevada, an attorney for the singer issued a statement denying the claims and suggesting that Ruth, who says she lives with autism and cerebral palsy, “has been manipulated into making false allegations against Nick.”

The lawsuit also cites similar allegations of assault from three other women, identified as Jane Does, to protect their privacy. According to the documents, Jane Doe 2 was 15 years old when Carter allegedly assaulted her and subsequently gave her HPV in 2003, mirroring Ruth’s claims.

In 2017, while the band was stationed in Las Vegas for a two-year residency, Melissa Schuman, a former member of teen-pop group Dream, released a blog post claiming that Carter sexually assaulted her in 2003 while they were shooting “The Hollow.” The claim, however, was not investigated after Los Angeles County prosecutors determined that it was made outside the 10-year statute of limitations.

The Backstreet Boys are currently on its DNA World Tour, which first began in 2019 and is scheduled to extend through 2023. The band has not made any statements suggesting that the lawsuit will impact their touring schedule going forward.

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