Backstreet Boys TV special pulled amid allegations singer raped fan with cerebral palsy
A Backstreet Boys Christmas TV special has been scrapped amid allegations singer Nick Carter raped an autistic 17-year-old with cerebral palsy and infected her with HPV during their 2001 tour.
US network ABC pulled the programme after Shannon Ruth, now 39, filed a civil suit seeking unspecified damages from Carter in a Las Vegas court on Thursday.
In the lawsuit Ms Ruth alleges the singer raped her and gave her a sexually transmitted disease.
A lawyer for Carter, 42, said the lawsuit was “legally meritless” and “entirely untrue”.
Ms Ruth’s lawyer Mark Boskovich said the singer had told her that “no one would ever believe in her” if she spoke out about the alleged attack because of her disability.
At a press conference, the lawyer said Ms Ruth had been queuing for an autograph after a Backstreet Boys show in Tacoma, Washington, when Carter invited her onto the bus.
“He gave her a funny tasting beverage that he called VIP juice,” Mr Boskovich told reporters.
Carter then took her to the bathroom and “exposed his genitals ordering (her) to perform sexual acts on him”.
Ms Ruth, who was a virgin at the time, cried throughout the ordeal, but Carter persisted, Mr Boskovich said.
He said the singer then took her to the back of the bus, “pushed her onto the bed and proceeded to rape her, despite her pleas”.
Ms Ruth wept openly during the 30-minute press conference.
“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 said.
The lawsuit says Carter – who has previously faced unproven claims of sexual assault, which he denied – also abused three other unnamed women.
It comes just a month after the death of Carter’s younger brother, Aaron.
Carter’s lawyer, Michael Holtz, told Variety: “This claim about an incident that supposedly took place more than 20 years ago is not only legally meritless but also entirely untrue.
“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.”
He called the announcement a “press stunt”, adding: “There is nothing to this claim whatsoever, which we have no doubt the courts will quickly realise.”
“A Very Backstreet Holiday” was scheduled to run on December 14, but is no longer listed in ABC’s holiday specials guide.
The Christmas special was to feature Carter, AJ McLean, Kevin Richardson, Brian Littrell and Howie Dorough performing hits from their 10th album A Very Backstreet Christmas.
It included appearances from other stars, including Seth Rogen and Meghan Trainor.
