Nevada Supreme Court Backs Backstreet Boy Nick Carter’s Defamation Case

The Nevada Supreme Court upheld a lower-court ruling Tuesday that Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys was likely defamed and can move forward with a countersuit against his rape accuser.

via: 8NewsNow

The ruling upholds a lower court’s denial of an anti-SLAPP motion from singer Melissa Schuman, of the 2000s girl group Dream, and her father, Jerome. As 8 News Now first reported in 2022, Schuman claims Carter sexually assaulted her in 2003.

Tuesday’s ruling affirms the district court’s decision that Carter could move forward with his countersuit involving another woman named Shannon Ruth. Ruth filed a lawsuit claiming she met Carter at a concert when she was 17 and he was 21. She alleges in court documents that Carter gave her alcohol, raped her and threatened her if she told anyone, documents said.

Carter denies all the allegations. An investigation showed Carter never met Ruth, documents said. Carter’s team also produced an affidavit from Ruth’s close friend who said she believed that Ruth did not even attend the concert where she said they met.

According to the ruling, Carter’s team claims the Schumans manipulated Ruth into making those claims. The ruling also said Carter claimed the Schumans “fabricated Melissa’s sexual assault allegations” and, with Ruth and Carter’s brother, Aaron Carter, “conspired to defame and extort him.” The Schumans argued Carter could not prove “actual malice” — a standard in defamation cases where a party must show intent to cause damage.

The ruling also said Carter provided “ample” evidence that Melissa Schuman changed her version of events over the years and that “the sexual interactions between him and Melissa were consensual.”

“All of this evidence, when viewed in the light most favorable to Carter arguably demonstrate that the sexual interactions between him and Melissa were consensual, that Melissa knew she was not sexually assaulted, and that the Schumans, Ruth, and Aaron conspired to defame Carter,” the justices wrote.

This ruling allows Carter to pursue his defamation, extortion, and conspiracy claims against the Schumans.

“We conclude that Carter provided sufficient evidence that, if believed, shows that the Schurnans published defamatory statements with knowledge that they were false or with reckless disregard for their veracity,” the justices said.

It adds Carter provided sufficient evidence to show that the Schumans published defamatory statements with the knowledge they were false.

“The Schumans and their co-conspirators have run out of excuses and will finally be held accountable for their protracted campaign to defame and extort Mr. Carter,” Carter’s attorneys Liane Wakayama and Dale Hayes Jr., said in a statement.

In November, the state supreme court issued a similar ruling siding with Carter over Ruth.

Carter’s attorney previously said their client and the Backstreet Boys lost at least $2.3 million due to the allegations, which led to the cancellation of promotional events, endorsements and a 2022 Christmas TV special, documents said.

Attorneys for Ruth and the Schumans did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A trial in district court was scheduled for February 2026.

Ruth and Schuman were named because they chose to identify themselves as victims of sexual assault. 8 News Now does not identify victims of sexual assault unless they choose to publicly come forward.