Nick Carter can't countersue one rape accuser for defamation, judge rules — but singer is still suing another

The Backstreet Boys member is facing complications in three separate legal battles over sexual assault allegations.

Nick Carter is facing complications in three separate legal battles over rape allegations.

The Backstreet Boy is being sued by three different women — two in Nevada and one in California — over sexual misconduct allegations, and a Nevada judge ruled in his accusers' favor Tuesday in connection with Carter's countersuit.

Clark County Judge Joe Hardy Jr. ruled that Carter could not bring a defamation countersuit against a woman identified as Ashley, who sued Carter last year for alleged sexual assault when she was 15 in 2003. Carter had filed a countersuit arguing that Ashley misled him into thinking she was 18 years old. "The truth is an absolute defense," Judge Hardy said. "Based on Carter's own judicial admissions, they did have sex. They had sexual relations, and she was a minor."

Ashley reacted to the ruling in a statement provided to Entertainment Weekly. "I am so thankful that the voice of my 15-year-old self is finally being heard and believed," she said. "All I ever wanted was to set myself free. I hope anyone else struggling can do the same."

John Kawai, an attorney for Ashley, added, "We are so proud to support courageous client Ashley in her fight for justice. Ashley stood up for herself against Carter's frivolous counterclaims with the ultimate defense: the truth."

One of Carter's lawyers, Dale Hayes Jr., told EW in a statement that Ashley "already admitted to law enforcement that she deceived Mr. Carter and his family and friends. Our evidence and witnesses show that her deceptive ways continue to this day, and we will, of course, appeal this ruling."

Meanwhile, in the case brought by Shannon "Shay" Ruth, who first sued Carter in 2022 for allegedly raping her on a tour bus in 2001, Judge Hardy rejected the singer's motion for summary judgment on the case. That filing, which has been reviewed by EW, argues that Ruth's narrative is a "factual impossibility" because fans allegedly witnessed Carter go from the Backstreet Boys' Tacoma, Wash., concert to his bus to his hotel, which would not allow the singer the time to assault Ruth.

Judge Hardy sided with Ruth's attorneys, as he noted that "genuine issues of material fact" still remain, so the case will proceed without summary judgment (which would have expedited the process without going to trial).

Liane Wakayama, Carter's attorney in the Ruth case, responded to the ruling in a statement to EW. "Nearly two years after making her outrageous claims at a press conference, Shannon Ruth has still not provided any evidence that she has ever even met Nick Carter," Wakayama said. "That’s not surprising, because the timeline provided by numerous witnesses show her story to be physically impossible. We have the strongest confidence in our case."

A representative for Ruth didn't immediately respond to EW's request for comment.

Melissa Schuman, the singer who was previously a member of the girl group Dream and has also sued Carter citing alleged rape, congratulated her fellow accusers on the developments. "Nick Carter is a violent sexual predator who tries to attack and intimidate his survivors when they speak out. I'm not afraid of his aggressive tactics and lies," Schuman said in a statement provided to EW on Wednesday. "I've experienced truth scrutinized down to every detail, and he should be ready for what happens when his lies are exposed under the microscope of the court. I look forward to his deposition in my case."

Schuman continued, "Ashley and Shay display incredible courage and resilience by standing up to Nick's ferocious attacks against them. Congratulations to both of them on their legal victories yesterday. It's a win for all Nick Carter survivors including the two additional women whose testimonies were disclosed in response to Nick's failed Motion to Dismiss Shay's case."

The developments in the Nevada cases come in the wake of Carter's new countersuit against Schuman in California, alleging that she defamed him and intentionally interfered with his ability to maintain sponsorship deals and business opportunities. Carter's attorneys filed the countersuit in Los Angeles on July 26, but the first reports of the motion didn't come until Tuesday — the same day that the singer finished his 28-city European tour.

Related: Nick Carter accuser details fallout from alleged sexual assault from Backstreet Boy in new docuseries: Watch exclusive clip

Carter's claims date back to a blog post that Schuman published in 2017, wherein she alleged that he raped her while they were shooting The Hollow in 2003, when she was 18 and he was in his early 20s. Schuman further detailed her claims in the Investigation Discovery docuseries Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter earlier this year.

The countersuit alleges that through a "plot to smear Carter's image in an effort to extort him," Schuman created interference that was "intentional, malicious, oppressive and designed specifically to damage Carter's contractual relationships and prospective economic advantages and opportunities."

Schuman first sued Carter for sexual assault in California in April 2023, shortly after Ruth filed her lawsuit. Carter denied all claims from Schuman, Ruth, and Ashley when the lawsuits were filed and when Fallen Idols released. Additionally, Carter's filing claims that Schuman "and her father recruited and groomed" the other two accusers.

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Schuman's attorney, Karen Barth Menzies, responded to Carter's filing in a statement to EW saying, "Carter's California counter-claim makes the same arguments as his stalled Nevada lawsuit, and both show that his approach to defend sexual assault claims is to attack the victims."

A representative for Carter declined to comment on the Schuman case.

The filing, which has been reviewed by EW, alleges that the 2003 encounter between the two singers was completely consensual — a stark contrast to Schuman's account of the night, even claiming that "At no point in time did Carter sexually assault Schuman or any other person." In the document, Carter's lawyers question why Schuman "remained silent and failed to alert the two other individuals present in the apartment… of the ongoing heinous crime."

The suit also alleges that "Schuman happily and enthusiastically agreed to perform a musical duet with Carter and further perform with him at a live showcase" — though Fallen Idols viewers may recall that Schuman extensively detailed how she felt pressured into recording and performing the song "There for Me" with him. "When I look back on this song now, it feels almost premeditated, where it was presented as if it was going to actually help me, but in reality, it feels more like an alibi for him," Schuman said in the doc.

Related: Nick Carter sued for sexual assault by second accuser

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The suit goes on to claim that Schuman had knowledge of several of Carter's business deals and intentionally sabotaged them by defaming him, listing examples as a $350,000 deal with MeUndies, a $1,000,000 deal with VRBO, a deal with kids' clothing brand the Children’s Place worth $125,000, and deals with the video game Roblox and children's entertainment company Tonies of undisclosed values. As a result, Carter is seeking damages in excess of $2.5 million, plus emotional distress damages, punitive damages, and attorney's fees.

Carter previously filed a countersuit in Ruth's Nevada case in 2023, seeking $2.3 million in damages from the three women. Carter's claims are nearly identical to in the two cases. Schuman and Ashley had not previously been involved in Ruth's case, and were only added to the mix when Carter named them in his countersuit.

[Editors' note: An earlier version of this story erroneously stated that Nick Carter's legal team planned to appeal the rejection of their motion for summary judgment.]

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.