Nick Carter claims 12 witnesses can back him up in sexual battery lawsuit

nme.com:

Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter has claimed that a dozen witnesses can back him up against his ongoing accusations of sexual assault.The accusations first arose last year, when a civil lawsuit was filed stating that the singer allegedly raped a 17-year-old fan on his tour bus in 2001.The allegations were made by Shannon Ruth, now aged 43, who stated that Carter handed her a drink which she believes contained a mix of cranberry juice and alcohol, before attacking her on the tour bus.She claimed that she encountered the singer when approaching him for an autograph after a Backstreet Boys show in Tacoma, Washington.

She also stated that she remained quiet following the assault as she feared retaliation.Additionally, Melissa Schulman, who formerly performed with the pop group Dream, also came forward in 2017 – accusing him of rape.Carter has since denied all accusations made against him and, last month, filed a counter-suit against both Ruth and Schulman – seeking at least £1.93million ($2.35million) in damages.Now, according to new legal documents obtained by TMZ, Carter has reportedly said that he has 12 people who have testified in his favour and claim that the charges he faces are “factually impossible”.In the documents, Carter reportedly said that the witnesses gathered were all present at the show, and include a talent manager, security personnel and fans.