Nick Cartertook the stage at theiHeartRadio Jingle Ballconcert in New York City on Friday, amidrape allegations and a lawsuit against him.
Matching in all-white ensembles, the singer, 42, performed alongside hisBackstreet BoysbandmatesKevin Richardson, AJ McLean,Brian Littrell, andHowie Doroughat Madison Square Garden.
Together, the group sang some of their classic hits, including “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” and “I Want It That Way,” as well as a cover of Wham!’s “Last Christmas.”
Dua Lipa,Dove Cameron,Demi Lovato,Lizzo,Charlie PuthandAva Maxwere among some of the other performers who joined the boy band at the annual holiday event.
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Nick Carter.Gabe Ginsberg/Getty
The accusationhad prompted ABC to cancelthe Backstreet Boys' Christmas special, titledA Very Backstreet Holiday, which was scheduled to air on Dec. 14,Varietyreported.
The special was set to feature Carter and his bandmates, as well asSeth Rogen,Meghan Trainor,Rob RiggleandNikki Glaser, among others. The band was slated to perform songs from its recently released 10th album,A Very Backstreet Christmas.
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A source close to Carter has since denied the allegations, and Michael Holtz, an attorney for the singer, added in a statement sent to PEOPLE, “This claim about an incident that supposedly took place more than 20 years ago is not only legally meritless but also entirely untrue.”
Ruth, who is autistic and has cerebral palsy, claims in her lawsuit that she was waiting in an autograph line after a Backstreet Boys show in Tacoma, Washington, when Carter invited her to his bus.
The singer asked Ruth if she wanted a drink, and when she requested apple juice, he gave her a red-colored drink he called “VIP juice,” the complaint claims. Though Carter allegedly said the beverage was cranberry juice, Ruth believes it also contained alcohol.
RELATED VIDEO: Nick Carter Sued for Sexual Battery in 2001 Fan Incident as Source Denies Allegations
Ruth claims that Carter then brought her to the bathroom and demanded she perform oral sex on him. Afterward, the singer allegedly continued to sexually assault her on a bed. Ruth claimed that she was a virgin before the encounter, and that she contracted HPV afterward.
Carter denied Schuman’s claims, saying that anything that happened between them was “consensual.” He wasnever charged with a crime, and the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office declined the case in 2018, citing an expired statute of limitations.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go torainn.org.
source: people.com
