Who is Nick Carter's accuser Melissa Schuman? Meet the former Dream singer as new Fallen Idols docuseries investigates accusations of sexual assault against Backstreet Boys star
- Fallen Idols: Nick And Aaron Carter features interviews with Nick's accusers
- But who is Melissa Schuman and what exactly has she accused Nick Carter of?
A new Investigation Discovery docuseries has delved into the multiple allegations of sexual assault against Backstreet Boys singer Nick Carter.
Fallen Idols: Nick And Aaron Carter features on-camera interviews with three women who have so far accused the boy-band member, 44, of sexual misconduct - Melissa Schuman, Ashley Repp and Shay Ruth.
Carter denies all of the allegations against him, claiming his sexual assault accusers were 'orchestrated' to extort him and his attorney Dale Hayes Jr. told People that the claims are 'outrageous'.
The star's countersuit of his accusers for defamation is still pending in court, with his lawyer adding in a statement: 'Those cases are working their way through the legal system now, and, based on both the initial court rulings and the overwhelming evidence, we have every belief that we will prevail and hold them accountable for spreading these falsehoods.'
But who is Melissa Schuman and what exactly has she accused Nick Carter of? Read on for everything you need to know.
Melissa Schuman, 39, is an American singer and actress who is best known for being a member of the girl group Dream
Who is Melissa Schuman?
Melissa Schuman, 39, is an American singer and actress who is best known for being a member of the girl group Dream.
The band was originally formed in October 1998 and their debut single He Loves U Not became a platinum hit, peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 17 on the UK singles chart.
Aside from a few mini-reunions over the years, the American girl group has disbanded and no longer releases new music.
Schuman is also known for her brief acting career, which included appearing in the movies Love Don't Cost A Thing and Silent Scream.
She recorded a song with Nick Carter in 2004 called There For Me, after they both appeared in the movie The Hollow.
The singer is now married to choreographer Brandon Henschel, after the couple tied the knot back in 2006 - they have one son together called Elijah, who is 13 years old.
Melissa Schuman (pictured) claims Nick Carter raped her in his Santa Monica apartment back in 2003
Dream was originally formed in October 1998 and their debut single He Loves U Not became a platinum hit, peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 17 on the UK singles chart
Carter and Schuman were both cast members for the 2004 movie The Hollow
What has Melissa Schuman accused Nick Carter of?
Melissa Schuman claims Nick Carter raped her in his Santa Monica apartment back in 2003.
She first came forward with the claims in a blog post published in 2017 and alleged that at the time, she was just 18 years old and a virgin.
Carter has previously denied her accusation and insisted their sexual encounter was consensual.
At the time, he said in a statement: '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.'
Schuman was unable to initially file a lawsuit due to a 10-year statute of limitations, but the law changed in California in 2023, changing the limitations window for a sexual assault. She went on to file the lawsuit in January 2023.
Carter has previously denied Schumer's accusation and insisted their sexual encounter was consensual
Carter denies all of the allegations against him, claiming his sexual assault accusers were 'orchestrated' to extort him and his attorney Dale Hayes Jr. told People that the claims are 'outrageous'
Schuman accused Carter of forcing her to perform and receive oral sex at a time when he was 22 and she was 18. She said that her first sexual experience was with Carter, despite her insisting to him that she did not want to have sex until she was married.
At the time, Carter's lawyer Liane K. Wakayama told DailyMail.com in a statement, 'For years, Melissa and Jerome Schuman have been conspiring with anyone they could manipulate to drum up false claims against Nick Carter in a brazen attempt to get rich off of him.'
In the new docuseries, Schuman touches on the 'hell on earth' that she faced after making the allegations, including messages of hate from Backstreet Boys fans who questioned her credibility.
Carter has denied all of the accusations made by Schuman.
What other accusations are there against Nick Carter?
Nick Carter has been accused of sexual assaults by two other women in separate lawsuits.
The Everybody (Backstreet's Back) artist has denied all of the accusations made against him in the separate suits.
Shannon 'Shay' Ruth alleged that Nick Carter raped her on a tour bus in 2001 when she was a minor aged 17. She filed a lawsuit against Carter for sexual battery back in December 2022.
Ruth claims the star pulled down his trousers and exposed himself to her in a bathroom - before allegedly forcing her to perform oral sex on him and then raping her.
She detailed the 'pain, confusion, frustration, shame and self-harm' brought on by the alleged incident and claimed Carter 'threatened and tried to silence her' in the immediate aftermath.
Carter denied the allegations in a December 2022 statement, which began, 'This claim about an incident that supposedly took place more than 20 years ago is not only legally meritless but also entirely untrue.'
'Unfortunately, for several years now, Ms. Ruth has been manipulated into making false allegations about Nick – and those allegations have changed repeatedly and materially over time,' the statement continued.
'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,' the statement concluded.
In the new docuseries, Schuman touches on the 'hell on earth' that she faced after making the allegations, including messages of hate from Backstreet Boys fans who questioned her credibility
Schuman is interviewed on-camera in the new docuseries
The multiple allegations of sexual assault were delved into in the new Investigation Discovery docuseries
A Las Vegas judge ruled in March 2023 that Carter could file a counterclaim against Ruth after he alleged she falsely accused him in an extortion attempt.
A third woman, Ashley Repp, has also accused Nick of sexual misconduct, filing a lawsuit in August 2023. The incident allegedly took place in Florida in 2003.
Last year, following the most recent accusation from Repp — who was referred to only by her initials at the time — Carter's attorney Dale Hayes Jr. told DailyMail.com that Nick denies her claims, while describing the three lawsuits as 'malicious schemes'.
In February 2024, Carter named Schuman in the $2.3 million suit against Shannon Ruth, TMZ reported.
In the suit filed by Carter, the boy band alum said Schuman coached Ruth in an extortion attempt he says has cost him millions in lost wages.
How has Nick Carter responded to the allegations?
Nick Carter denies all allegations and claims that all of his sexual assault accusers were 'orchestrated' to extort him.
The 44-year-old singer filed for a motion of summary judgment against Shannon Ruth earlier this month, via US Weekly.
'Ruth’s goal was simple — gain as much attention as possible in hopes that Carter would be canceled. For a brief moment it worked,' the filing read.
'ABC canceled the Backstreet Boys’ Christmas special, A Very Backstreet Holiday, and Carter was left fighting for his innocence and his family,' the filing added.
'Now, over a year later, Carter has obtained all of the evidence necessary to prove that he has been telling the truth all along — he did not rape Ruth or anyone else for that matter,' the filing continued.
The filing adds that others who have accused him such as Melissa Schuman and a plaintiff known as A.R. have, 'orchestrated' their claims.
The singer alleges it is all a 'plan to garner fame and extort Carter out of money,' adding that Ruth fabricated her testimony, claiming it was a, 'factual impossibility.'
Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter is airing on Investigation Discovery on May 27 and May 28. The episodes are also streaming on Max.
