Former Dream singer Melissa Schuman accused Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys of raping her in 2002 and alleged that his legal team silenced her in a Sunday blog post, according to a report from Rolling Stone.
In the graphic and lengthy post, Schuman explained that her management team set her up with Carter after he took interest in her. However, she had a boyfriend at the time, so they did meet again for a few years when she was 18, he was 22 and they were cast in the same made-for-TV movie. Carter invited her and a friend over to his Santa Monica apartment to hang out with him and his friend, according to Schuman.
After drinking alcohol, he and Schuman kissed in his office. He then brought her into a bathroom where he allegedly forcibly performed oral sex on her and forced her to reciprocate after ignoring her many pleas for him to stop. Afterward, Schuman said Carter took her to a bedroom and raped her even after she told him she wanted to wait until marriage.
“It was done. The one thing I had held as a virtue had been ruined,” she wrote. “I went limp, turned my head to my left and decided I would just go to sleep now. I wanted to believe it was some sort of nightmare I was dreaming up.”
The former girl group member said she immediately told her manager and attempted to press charges, but was informed that Carter hired a powerful litigator.
“I was told I would likely be buried in humiliation, accused of being fame hungry, and it would ultimately hurt me professionally as well as publicly.” she wrote.
Credit: Rich Fury/Getty Images
Credit: Rich Fury/Getty Images
Eventually, she lost interest in pursuing a career in music.
“I was broken. I was tired. I was traumatized,” she wrote.
Schuman, who didn't mention who she accused of sexual assault by name until much later in the post, said an Oct. 30 article on RadarOnline prompted her to speak out.
On Tuesday, she tweeted her gratitude to fans for supporting her decision to speak out about the alleged incident, writing, "I just want to thank everyone for the outpouring of love and support. Thank you for bearing witness to my story. Thank you for providing me a safe place to be open and vulnerable. I love you all. Thank you for aiding me in the healing that I so desperately needed. I am free now."
Carter, 37, responded to the allegations in a statement to People 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.”
“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.”
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