Nick Carter Sued for Sexual Assault and Battery by Former Member of Dream

etonline.com:

Nick Carter is denying allegations against him. After former Dream member Melissa Schuman sued Carter for sexual assault and battery for an alleged 2003 incident, Carter's attorney, Liane K.

Wakayama, spoke out in a statement to ET.«Melissa Schuman has been peddling this tale for many years,» Wakayama's statement read, «but her allegation was false when she first made it back in 2017 — and it still is.»In Schuman's suit, which was obtained by , she claims that the former Backstreet Boy member used «his role, status, and power as a well-known singer to gain access to, groom, manipulate, exploit, and sexually assault» her.Schuman first made her allegations in a 2017 blog post, claiming that Carter forced himself upon her at his Santa Monica apartment and took her virginity when she was 18.The pair initially met through their respective teams and were cast to star in a film together.

Schuman claimed in her blog post that she decided to continue working on the movie after the alleged assault out of fear that it would damage her career if she didn't.In the wake of the alleged incident, Schuman claims in her suit that Carter continued to «manipulate and torment» her, additionally alleging that he repeatedly tried to contact her via phone.

She additionally speculated that Carter could be the reason behind her stalled career. «I've faced extraordinary backlash for standing up for myself; I am not the first, however my intention is that I am the last,» Schuman told in a statement. «It's time that powerful figures in the music industry get the message that they can no longer afford to enable and protect sexual predators.