High court allows Nick Carter’s counterclaim to move forward in sex assault lawsuit
Updated January 29, 2025 - 5:15 pm
The Nevada Supreme Court ruled in favor of Backstreet Boys singer Nick Carter on Tuesday, affirming a decision that allows him to countersue a woman who has accused him of sexual assault.
In December 2022, Shannon Ruth filed a lawsuit against Carter alleging he gave her alcohol when she was 17 and raped her on a tour bus.
Another woman, Ashley Repp, filed a lawsuit against Carter in August 2023 alleging he raped her on his yacht when she was 15 years old.
Carter filed a counterclaim in January 2024, alleging that Repp was part of a conspiracy to defame Carter alongside Ruth and another woman, Melissa Schuman, a member of the girl group Dream who has also accused Carter of sexual assault.
In August, District Judge Joe Hardy dismissed Carter’s counterclaim against Repp. But he also allowed Carter’s counterclaim against Ruth and Schuman to move forward, a decision that was upheld by the Supreme Court in an order filed Tuesday.
The Supreme Court ruled that when viewing the case in the most favorable way toward Carter, he has met his burden to show that Schuman fabricated sexual assault allegations.
If the evidence is believed at trial, Carter could obtain a verdict in his favor, the justices ruled.
Carter has also alleged that Schuman and her father conspired with Ruth and Carter’s brother, Aaron Carter, “to defame and extort him.”
“While these declarations demonstrate that there may be genuine disputes of material facts in this case, this court cannot weigh the evidence but rather must consider the evidence in the light most favorable to Carter,” the order said.
The order was signed by justices Douglas Herndon, Patricia Lee and Linda Bell.
Carter’s attorneys, Liane Wakayama and Dale Hayes, said in a statement Wednesday that the Supreme Court’s “unflinching” decision will allow Carter to pursue his defamation, extortion and conspiracy claims against the Schumans.
“The Schumans and their co-conspirators have run out of excuses and will finally be held accountable for their protracted campaign to defame and extort Mr. Carter,” the statement said.
Attorney Jemma Dunn, who represents Schuman and her father, said the Supreme Court’s decision does not mean that Carter is guaranteed to win a trial.
“While we respectfully disagree with the court’s decision, the court made no finding about which side is likely to win at trial,” Dunn said in an emailed statement. “A jury will decide the merits of the case and we fully expect to prevail.”
Attorneys for Ruth did not respond to a request for comment.
The Supreme Court released a similar order in November, affirming Hardy’s decision allowing Carter’s countersuit against Ruth to move forward, court records show.
Ruth had alleged that Carter assaulted her after a Backstreet Boys concert and that he is a “‘serial’ rapist and abuser who has sexually assaulted other people,” according to the November ruling.
The justices ruled that Carter could pursue the countersuit against Ruth’s claims that she was sexually assaulted because Carter’s evidence, if believed at trial, would show that she made the allegation knowing it was false.
However, the Supreme Court ruled that Carter could not pursue a countersuit against Ruth’s claims that Carter had assaulted other women because Carter could not show she acted with malice.
A jury trial in the District Court case between Carter, Repp, Ruth and Schuman is scheduled for March 2026.
Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240.