Nick Carter has been accused of raping an underage girl over two decades ago.
Shannon “Shay” Ruth claimed that the Backstreet Boys member sexually assaulted her in 2001. The alleged victim held a press conference with her lawyers on Facebook Live.
“The last 21 years have been filled with pain, confusion, frustration, shame and self-harm that are a direct result of Nick Carter raping me,” the now-39-year-old said.
“Even though I’m autistic and live with cerebral palsy, I believe that nothing has affected me more or had a more lasting impact on my life than what Nick Carter did and said to me.”
Ruth recalled that the musician allegedly called her a “re****ed bitch,” and left bruises on her arm. “Carter tried to scare me into silence… he was nasty and threatening,” she added.
According to Ruth, she took so long to speak out about the alleged incident as she thought she could “go to jail” if she told anyone about it. She further claimed that her reason to do so now was to “stop” Carter from “assaulting more teens and women.”
“Just because Nick Carter is a celebrity does not mean that he is excused from his crimes… I am a survivor and always will be,’ Ruth concluded.
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Ruth’s representative, Mark J. Boskovich, revealed in the press conference that three other unnamed women are involved in the joint lawsuit alongside Ruth.
“Nick Carter has a long history of abusing women,” the lawyer claimed. “Shay is determined to bring Carter to justice… She believes it’s worth it to protect other women.”
The joint lawsuit was filed this week and, as per Page Six, stated that Ruth was invited to Carter’s tour bus following a concert in Washington State after waiting in line for an autograph.
Ruth then alleged that the singer offered her a “red-coloured drink” he called a “VIP juice,” even though she was a minor at the time. She now believes it to be a mixture of alcohol and cranberry juice.
Ruth also claimed that Carter took her to a bed on the tour bus, where he allegedly sexually assaulted her, leading to her getting HPV after the incident. She’s seeking monetary damages for the alleged incident.
Carter has been back in the news recently following the tragic death of his younger brother Aaron Carter, who passed away early last month at the age of 34.
