Nick Carter, the Backstreet Boys singer, faced a legal victory in his ongoing battle against Melissa Schuman, his accuser of sexual assault. The Nevada Supreme Court ruled in favour of Carter on Tuesday, Jan. 28, denying an anti-SLAPP motion filed by Schuman and her father Jerry for the second time. This ruling allows Carter, aged 45, to proceed with his defamation counterclaim against the Schumans. The court stated that Carter had provided sufficient evidence to show that the Schumans had made defamatory statements knowingly false or with reckless disregard for their truthfulness. This decision affirms the judgment of the district court.
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Schuman, a former member of the girl group Dream, first accused Carter of rape in a blog post in 2017. She alleged that Carter raped her when she was an 18-year-old virgin in his Santa Monica apartment in 2003. Carter denied the allegations, claiming that any sexual encounter with Schuman was consensual. This accusation resurfaced in a countersuit filed by Carter in February 2023 against Shannon Ruth, who had previously sued him for sexual battery.
In his countersuit, Carter asserted that both Schuman and Ruth exploited the #MeToo movement to defame him for personal gain. Schuman’s anti-SLAPP motion was denied in August 2023, which she subsequently appealed. The recent ruling by the Nevada Supreme Court upholds the decision to deny Schuman’s motion, allowing Carter to pursue his claims of defamation, extortion, and conspiracy against the Schumans.
Following the ruling, Carter’s attorneys, Liane Wakayama and Dale Hayes Jr., expressed that Carter is now able to continue with his legal actions against the Schumans. The attorneys stated that the Schumans would be held accountable for their alleged campaign to defame and extort Carter. Schuman had also filed a lawsuit against Carter in April 2023 for sexual assault and battery related to the 2003 incident, which he countered with a $2.5 million lawsuit in August 2024.
As the legal battles continue, Carter is preparing to embark on a new leg of his Who I Am Tour, starting in India on Feb. 7 with dates scheduled through May. This ruling signifies a significant development in the ongoing legal saga between Carter and his accuser, shedding light on the complexities of such cases and the importance of legal procedures in addressing allegations of sexual assault.
Furthermore, Schuman’s allegations have sparked discussions around the #MeToo movement and its impact on high-profile cases. The legal proceedings highlight the challenges that both accusers and accused face in the court of public opinion and the judicial system. The decision by the Nevada Supreme Court underscores the nuances of defamation claims and the standards of evidence required in such legal battles.
The ruling sets a precedent for future cases involving allegations of sexual assault and underscores the importance of thorough legal processes in resolving such sensitive matters. It also serves as a reminder of the complexities and challenges faced by both parties involved in cases of sexual misconduct, urging a nuanced approach to addressing these issues in a fair and just manner.
In light of these developments, the legal battle between Nick Carter and Melissa Schuman continues to unfold, with implications reaching beyond their individual case to broader conversations around consent, accountability, and justice in cases of sexual assault accusations. As the legal proceedings progress, the outcome of this case will be closely watched for its impact on similar cases in the entertainment industry and beyond.