Oh boy! The music world is abuzz with the latest accusations against Backstreet Boys singer Nick Carter.
The 39-year-old Shannon “Shay” Ruth has come forward with a lawsuit and a press conference alleging that Carter sexually assaulted her when she was just 17 years old.
Ruth claims that Carter took advantage of her vulnerable state because she has autism and cerebral palsy. Talk about a low blow!
“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 said.
“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.
“After he raped me, I remember him calling me a ‘re—-ed bitch’ and grabbing me and leaving bruises on my arm.”
When asked why she waited more than 20 years to come out, Ruth answered that she was afraid of going public.
“Carter tried to scare me into silence … he was nasty and threatening,” she said.
Ruth claimed that she was hesitant to come up because she was afraid of “going to jail” if she recounted her tale.
She finally came out in the hopes of “stopping” Carter from “assaulting more teenagers and women” and “holding Nick Carter accountable.”
“Just because Nick Carter is a celebrity does not mean that he is excused from his crimes,” the victim concluded.
“I am a survivor and always will be.”
“Nick Carter has a long history of abusing women,” said Ruth’s attorney Mark J. Boskovich, adding that the music industry allegedly has a history of “looking away.”
The complaint also names three more accusers who go by the name Jane Doe.
“Shay is determined to bring Carter to justice,” Boskovich said.
“She believes it’s worth it to protect other women.”
Nick Carter has yet to respond publicly to the charges leveled against him.
Carter has previously been accused of sexual assault by singer Melissa Schuman in 2017.