Former member of girl band Dream accuses Nick Carter of sex assault in new lawsuit

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (CNS) -- A former member of the girl band Dream is suing Backstreet Boys singer Nick Carter, alleging he raped her in his Santa Monica apartment in 2003, an allegation Carter has previously denied.

Melissa Schuman filed suit in Santa Monica on Tuesday, alleging sexual battery, sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Schuman first went public with her allegations against Carter in 2017.

In her lawsuit, Schuman claims Carter invited her to his Santa Monica apartment in 2003, while both were working on filming a teen horror film called "The Hollow.'' The lawsuit contends that Carter, who was with a male friend, invited her over to "hang out and play video games.''

Schuman went to his apartment with her roommate, and while there, Carter began making cocktails, and the lawsuit contends he put some type of drug in her drink. Carter led her to a back office under the pretense of sharing some new music he was working on, but he began sexually assaulting her, eventually raping her in a bedroom, the lawsuit states.

In a statement Wednesday to "Entertainment Tonight,'' Carter's attorney again denied Schuman's allegations.

"Melissa Schuman has been peddling this tale for many years,'' attorney Liane Wakayama said in a statement. "But her allegation was false when she first made it back in 2017, and it still is.''

In February, Carter filed a lawsuit of his own against Schuman and another woman -- Shannon "Shay'' Ruth -- who took legal action against the singer in December claiming he raped her when she was a teenager in 2001.

Carter's lawsuit accused both women of orchestrating an extortion scheme by making false allegations of sexual assault. The suit contended that both women were working to "harass, defame and extort Carter,'' in the process costing the Backstreet Boys millions of dollars in revenues due to the allegations.

Ruth, who announced her Nevada lawsuit against Carter in December during a Beverly Hills news conference, claims Carter raped her in a tour bus after a Backstreet Boys concert in Tacoma, Washington, when she was just 17. She alleges the singer gave her what he called "VIP Juice,'' then sexually assaulted her.

Michael Holtz, an attorney for Carter at the time, released a statement that called the allegation "not only legally meritless but also entirely untrue.''

"Unfortunately, for several years now, Ms. Ruth has been manipulated into making false allegations against Nick, and those allegations have changed repeatedly and materially over time,'' he said. "No one should be fooled by a

press stunt orchestrated by an opportunistic lawyer. There is nothing to this claim whatsoever, which we have no doubt the courts will quickly realize.''

Attorneys for Schuman contend that Carter has engaged in a pattern of "online intimidation'' against Schuman in an effort to discredit her allegations against the singer. The lawsuit claims Carter used his "fan engagement team to encourage (Carter's) dedicated fan base to engage in internet intimidation in an effort to intimidate, blame, harass and discredit plaintiff online.''

In a statement released by her attorneys, Schuman said, "I've faced extraordinary backlash for standing up for myself. I am not the first, however, my intention is that I am the last. 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. I'm fighting to make the music industry a safer place to work and perform.''

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