DWTS Finalist Accused of Raping Underage Fan

ABC A "Dancing With the Stars" Mirrorball champ is set to return to Broadway.

Backstreet Boys member and “Dancing With the Stars” finalist Nick Carter has been accused of sexually assaulting a minor during the 2001 Backstreet Boys tour.

Here’s what you need to know:

Nick Carter is Being Sued by a Woman Who Says He Sexually Assaulted Her as a Minor While on Tour

As first reported by TMZ and Rolling Stone, Nick Carter is being sued in Clark Count, Nevada by a woman named Shannon Ruth who says that in 2001, Carter, then 21, sexually assaulted her on his Backstreet Boys tour bus when she was 17 years old.

Ruth says she was waiting in an autograph line after a show in Tacoma, Washington, when Carter invited her on his tour bus. There he gave her a red-colored drink that Ruth believes contained alcohol, though Carter told her at the time it was just cranberry juice.

Ruth says that Carter forced her to perform oral sex on him in the bathroom and later vaginally raped her on a bed in the bus. She said she was a virgin at the time and contracted HPV from the alleged assault.

She is suing Carter for sexual battery and intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress. She also said in the suit that Carter told her she “would go to jail if she told anyone what happened.”

At a press conference with her lawyer Mark Baskovich on Thursday, December 8 in Beverly Hills, California, Ruth said that the last 21 years of her life have been “filled with pain, confusion, frustration, shame, and self-harm that are a direct result of Nick Carter raping me.”

“Even though I’m autistic and live with cerebral palsy, I believe nothing has affected me more … than what Nick Carter did to me,” said Ruth, adding, “After he raped me, I remember him calling me a ‘r*****ed b****’ and grabbing me and leaving bruises on my arm.”

“During our investigation, we spoke with other women that Carter also sexually assaulted and infected with HPV,” said Ruth’s lawyer during the press conference, going on to say that the women’s stories were all very similar and encouraging anyone else who experienced something similar to come forward.

Marcy Hamilton from civil rights organization Child USA and a professor at the University of Pennsylvania also spoke at the press conference, saying that Ruth came to her three years ago, ready to come forward.

“Typically, victims of child sex abuse and rape don’t come forward for decades, that’s the kind of reserach that we do at Child USA. The psychological and physical manifestations and the shame nd the humiliation stand between them and justice. The other barrier between them and justice are the statute of limitations. Thank god the statute of limitations are open and are creatinga n opportunity for her to get justice because she deserves it, but to bring Carter to account. Nick Carter has operated as though he is immune from the law,” said Hamilton.

Representatives for Carter have not responded to Heavy’s request for comment at this time, but a source close to Carter told TMZ that “this accusation is categorically false.”

“Nick is focusing on his family and mourning the death of his brother,” said the source.

Nick Carter finished in second place on season 21 with his partner Sharna Burgess. His younger brother Aaron Carter finished in fifth place on season 9 of the show with his partner Karina Smirnoff; Aaron Carter died on November 5 at the age of 34. According to TMZ, a cause of death is yet to be determined pending more tests.

UPDATED TO ADD: Carter has issued a statement to Heavy denying Ruth’s accusations.

The statement reads, “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. 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 original story continues below.

Carter Was Accused of Rape Before by Another Pop Star

In 2018, pop star Melissa Schuman accused Carter of rape in a 2003 incident that she detailed in a now-deleted blog post.

According to People, Schuman said in the blog post that Carter demanded Schuman perform oral sex on him and later raped her in a bedroom at his house. She later said during an interview on “The Dr. Oz Show” that her manager at the time told her not to press charges.

“I was told that [Carter] had the most powerful litigator in the country and that I didn’t have the money to pay for an attorney to essentially defend me, if he were to come after me,” Schuman said, adding, “My manager told me, ‘You know you’re trying to build a name for yourself right now, everyone’s going to call you fame hungry, that you’re trying to use this to better yourself or get your name out there and at this point there’s nothing we can do.'”

At the time of the accusation, Carter told People in a statement that he was “shocked and saddened” by Schuman’s allegations.

The statement said:

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.

In a separate statement, Schuman told People, “I was empowered to share my story because of the brave women who shared their stories before me. My hope is that my experience further highlights the urgent need for open dialogue and education about consent and sexual assault. To those who have shared their stories with me, I see you. I believe you. I stand with you.”