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

NME

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. While he has previously stated it was not possible to have interacted with Ruth after the show, now he claims that there was no line for autographs – meaning fans had no access to the tour bus staging area.

Elsewhere in the documents, Carter also claimed that one of Ruth’s close friends has testified against her – supposedly saying that the accuser is lying about being autistic and suffering from cerebral palsy, and claiming that they don’t believe that she attended the show in question.

As per the report, the singer also claimed that another witness testified that they were on calls where Ruth’s name arose as a “plot to extort Carter” and as a “money grab”.

Previously, Carter explained that he was pursuing the counter-suit against both Ruth and Schulman to put “an end to the smears and attempted shakedowns for good”. His legal team also accused Ruth of being “manipulated into making false allegations” by Melissa Schulman.

For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.

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