Who is Nick Carter’s accuser, Melissa Schuman? Meet the former Dream singer as new documentary series Fallen Idols investigates sexual assault accusations against the Backstreet Boys star

• Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter present interviews with Nick’s accusers
• But who is Melissa Schuman and what exactly is she accusing Nick Carter of?

A new documentary series from Investigation Discovery has looked into the multiple sexual assault allegations 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 allegations against him, saying his sexual assault accusers were “orchestrated” to extort him, and his lawyer Dale Hayes Jr. told People the allegations are “outrageous.”

The star’s countersuit against her accusers for defamation is still pending in court, with her lawyer adding in a statement: “These cases are currently being processed through the court system and, based on both the rulings initial justice and overwhelming evidence, we are confident that we will prevail and hold them accountable for spreading these lies.

But who is Melissa Schuman and what exactly is she accusing Nick Carter of? Read on for everything you need to know.

Who is Mélissa Schuman?

Melissa Schuman, 39, is an American singer and actress best known for being a member of the girl group Dream.

The group was formed in October 1998 and their debut single He Loves U Not became a platinum hit, reaching 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 is no longer releasing new music.

Schuman is also known for her brief acting career, which included her appearance in the films Love Don’t Cost A Thing and Silent Scream.

She recorded a song with Nick Carter in 2004 called There For Me, after their appearance in the film The Hollow.

The singer is now married to choreographer Brandon Henschel, after the couple tied the knot in 2006. They have a son together, 13-year-old Elijah.

What does Melissa Schuman accuse Nick Carter of?

Melissa Schuman claims Nick Carter raped her in her Santa Monica apartment in 2003.

She first made these claims in a blog post in 2017 and claimed that at the time she was only 18 years old and a virgin.

Carter has previously denied her accusation and insisted their sexual relationship was consensual.

At the time, he said in a statement: “I am shocked and saddened by Ms Schuman’s accusations.

“Melissa never told me while we were together or at any time since anything we did was non-consensual. We later recorded a song and performed together, and I was always respectful and supportive of Melissa , both personally and professionally.

“This is the first time I have heard of these accusations, almost two decades later. It goes against my nature and everything I hold dear to intentionally cause discomfort or harm to someone.

Schuman was initially unable to pursue legal action due to a 10-year statute of limitations, but the law changed in California in 2023, changing the statute of limitations for sexual assault. She then filed a lawsuit in January 2023.

Schuman accused Carter of forcing her to perform and have oral sex at a time when he was 22 and she was 18. She said her first sexual experience was with Carter, although she insisted to him that she didn’t 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 conspired with anyone they could manipulate to make false allegations against Nick Carter in a brazen attempt to enrich himself.” from him.’

In the new docuseries, Schuman discusses the “hell on earth” she faced after making the allegations, including hate messages from Backstreet Boys fans who questioned her credibility.

Carter denied all accusations made by Schuman.

What other accusations are there against Nick Carter?

Nick Carter has been accused of sexual assault by two other women in separate lawsuits.

The artist Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) has denied all accusations against him in the various lawsuits.

Shannon ‘Shay’ Ruth alleged that Nick Carter raped her on a tour bus in 2001 when she was a 17-year-old minor. She filed a lawsuit against Carter for sexual assault in December 2022.

Ruth claims the star pulled down his pants and exposed himself to her in a bathroom – before forcing her to perform oral sex on him and then raping her.

She detailed the “pain, confusion, frustration, shame and self-harm” caused by the alleged incident and claimed Carter “threatened her and tried to silence her” immediately afterward.

Carter denied the allegations in a December 2022 statement, which began: “This claim regarding an incident that allegedly took place over 20 years ago is not only legally without merit, but also completely false. »

“Unfortunately, for several years now, Ms. Ruth has been manipulated into making false allegations about Nick – and these allegations have changed repeatedly and materially over time,” the statement continued.

“No one should be fooled by a PR stunt orchestrated by an opportunistic lawyer – there is nothing in this claim, and we are confident the courts will quickly realize this,” the statement concluded.

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A Las Vegas judge ruled in March 2023 that Carter could file a counterclaim against Ruth after alleging she falsely accused him of attempted extortion.

A third woman, Ashley Repp, also accused Nick of sexual misconduct and filed a lawsuit in August 2023. The incident allegedly took place in Florida in 2003.

Last year, following Repp’s most recent accusation — who was referred to only by his initials at the time — Carter’s attorney, Dale Hayes Jr., told DailyMail.com that Nick denied her claims, while describing the three lawsuits as “malicious schemes.”

In February 2024, Carter named Schuman in the $2.3 million lawsuit against Shannon Ruth, TMZ reported.

In Carter’s complaint, the boy band alum said Schuman lured Ruth into an extortion attempt that he said cost him millions of dollars in lost wages.

How did Nick Carter respond to the allegations?

Nick Carter denies all allegations and claims all of his sexual assault accusers were “orchestrated” to extort him.

The 44-year-old singer filed a motion for summary judgment against Shannon Ruth earlier this month, via US Weekly.

“Ruth’s goal was simple: to attract as much attention as possible in the hopes that Carter would be canceled. For a brief moment, it worked,” the filing states.

“ABC canceled the Backstreet Boys’ Christmas special, A Very Backstreet Holiday, and Carter found himself fighting for his and his family’s innocence,” the filing adds.

“Now, more than a year later, Carter has obtained all the evidence necessary to prove that he told the truth all along – he did not rape Ruth or anyone else,” the filing continues.

The filing adds that others who accused him, such as Melissa Schuman and a plaintiff known as AR, “orchestrated” their claims.

The singer claims it’s a “plan to gain fame and extort money from Carter,” adding that Ruth fabricated her testimony, claiming it was an “impossibility factual.”

Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter airs on Investigation Discovery May 27-28. The episodes are also broadcast on Max.