Nick Carter joins Backstreet Boys on stage for the first time after rape allegations by autistic woman
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: Nick Carter returned to the stage for the first time on December 10 after being accused of rape. The singer was sued by an autistic woman named Shannon ''Shay'' Ruth who accused him of allegedly raping her in 2001.
Carter who subsequently refuted the claims made his performance with his fellow Backstreet Boys members for iHeartRadio's Jingle Ball Tour at Madison Square Garden after the serious allegations against him. Along with the Backstreet Boys bandmates AJ McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, and Kevin Richardson, Carter was also on the red carpet, reports the Daily Mail.
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During a press conference on December 8, Ruth came forward emotionally and accused Carter of sexually assaulting her when she was 17 years old and he was 21. Ruth claims that the incident took place in 2001.
MEAWW previously reported that Ruth claimed in her lawsuit that after a concert, Carter took her inside his tour bus, and when asked for a drink, she requested an apple juice and the singer got her a red-colored drink which he called a 'VIP juice'. The now 39-year-old Ruth believes that the juice contained alcohol while the 42-year-old singer denies the claim saying it was cranberry juice.
She then claimed in the lawsuit that she was taken to the bathroom and Carter demanded her to perform oral sex on him. Ruth also claimed in the court documents that her virginity was taken following the incident and also that he gave her a sexually transmitted disease. She told that the reason she delayed reporting the incident was due to Carter's statement where he allegedly told her “she would go to jail if she told anyone what happened.”
Ruth officially sued the performer for "sexual battery" and "intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress," following the incident she claims took place while the band was on tour in Tacoma, Washington. According to the Daily Mail, Carter's lawyer has vehemently denied the claims. Following the allegations, the band's performance from their tenth album titled 'A Very Backstreet Christmas' was canceled from the holiday season-themed show on ABC.
On November 5, the singer lost his 34-year-old brother Aaron Carter who was found dead in his bathtub in Lancaster, California. Carter is married to Lauren Kitt for eight years. The couple shares three children, Odin, Saoirse, and Pearl.