ABC Pulls Backstreet Boys Holiday Special as Nick Carter Responds to Rape Allegations
Nick Carter is accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl during a 2001 Backstreet Boys tour.
ABC has canceled the Backstreet Boys' Christmas special following the recent allegations against band member Nick Carter, who is accused of raping a 17-year-old girl during a tour in 2001.
"A Very Backstreet Holiday," which was supposed to air on ABC on Dec. 14, has been nixed by the network's airing schedule after it was already filmed in Los Angeles, Variety reports.
The decision comes in the wake of a new lawsuit brought against Carter, 42, by 39-year-old Shannon "Shay" Ruth, who claims she was sexually assaulted by the boy-bander when she was 17 and he was 21. She also accuses him of infecting her with HPV.
Following the filing of the civil suit on Thursday, Dec. 8, an attorney for Carter addressed the allegation in a statement obtained by Page Six.
"This claim about an incident that supposedly took place more than 20 years ago is not only legally meritless but also entirely untrue," attorney Michael Holtz insisted in the statement. "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."
Holtz went on to say, "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 doubts the courts will quickly realize."
In the lawsuit, Ruth claims that Carter invited her on his tour bus following a concert in Tacoma, Washington in February 2001, where she was allegedly forced to perform oral sex and have intercourse with Carter.
As Parade reported, Ruth—who lives with autism and cerebral palsy—held a press conference with her lawyers on Facebook Live on Thursday, where she insisted, "These 21 years have been filled with pain, confusion, frustration, shame and self-harm that are a direct result of Nick Carter raping me."
"Even though I'm autistic and live with cerebral palsy, I believe that nothing has affected me more or had a more lasting impact on my life than what Nick Carter did and said to me," she stated, adding, "I remember him calling ma a 're—ed bitch' and grabbing me and leaving bruises on my arm."
Ruth also claimed that the "I Want It That Way" crooner "tried to scare me into silence," calling him, "nasty and threatening."
Hesitant to come forward with her story at first, Ruth said she believed she could "go to jail" over the alleged incidents. However, now, she wants to "stop" Carter from "assaulting more teens and women," while inspiring others to come forward and "hold Nick Carter accountable."
"Just because Nick Carter is a celebrity does not mean that he is excused from his crimes," Ruth tearfully stated in the press conference. "I am a survivor and always will be."
Ruth's attorney, Mark J. Boskovich also claimed that Carter "has a long history of abusing women," as he was previously accused of raping former Dream girl group member, Melissa Schulman, who claimed Carter sexually assaulted her when she was 18.
"Shay is determined to bring Carter to justice," Ruth's lawyer added on Thursday. "She believes it's worth it to protect other women."
Ruth is seeking monetary damages for past and future pain and suffering as part of her civil suit, as well as punitive damages.
