ABC Pulls Backstreet Boys Special Amid Nick Carter Sexual Assault Lawsuit

The Backstreet Boys’ television special “A Very Backstreet Holiday” was scheduled to air December 14 on ABC, but the network has postponed it in the wake of sexual assault allegations against band member Nick Carter.

The special has been removed from the network’s schedule, and comedy reruns have taken its place, per The Hollywood Reporter. The program was set to feature the boy band singing songs from their just-released holiday album, which was also called “A Very Backstreet Holiday.”

Carter was recently accused of raping a then-17-year-old fan on his tour bus after a 2001 concert in Tacoma, Washington. 

Shannon “Shay” Ruth filed a lawsuit in Nevada, claiming the singer picked her out of a crowd to join him on the tour bus. While there, Carter allegedly gave Ruth an alcoholic beverage called “VIP juice” and then assaulted her, per THR. Ruth’s attorney said his client thought the beverage tasted “funny” and believed the drink included alcohol and cranberry juice.

She further alleged that Carter took her to the bathroom and “ordered her to perform sexual acts on him.” Ruth claims to have been crying but says he continued the assault in the bedroom. She also claims to have been a virgin at the time. 

The lawsuit also claims that three other anonymous Jane Doe accusers were also sexually assaulted by the Backstreet Boys singer between 2003 and 2006. One of those accusers was also underage at the time.

“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,” Ruth shared in a speech, as The Daily Wire previously reported.

“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,” she continued.

Carter’s attorney Michael Holtz called the allegations “not only legally meritless but also entirely untrue” in a statement shared by Page Six.

The singer was also accused of sexual assault in 2017 by Melissa Schuman, a former member of the pop group Dream. Carter said he and Schuman did engage in sexual activity but it was consensual. Charges were never filed against the singer as prosecutors said the statute of limitations had expired.

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