Who is Nick Carter’s accuser Melissa Schuman? Meet the former Dream singer as new Fallen Idols docuseries investigates accusations of sexual assault against Backstreet Boys star

A new Investigation Discovery docuseries has delved into the many sexual assault allegations against Backstreet Boys singer Nick Carter.

Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter features on-camera interviews with three women who have accused the boy band member, 44, of sexual misconduct so far: Melissa Schuman, Ashley Repp and Shay Ruth.

Carter denies all allegations against him, claiming that sex abuse accusers were “orchestrated” to extort him, and his attorney Dale Hayes Jr. People that the claims are ‘outrageous’.

The star’s countersuit against his accusers for defamation is still pending in court, with his lawyer adding in a statement: “These cases are now working their way through the legal system, and based on both the initial court rulings Given the overwhelming evidence, we are confident that we will prevail and hold them accountable for spreading these falsehoods.”

But who is Melissa Schuman and what exactly has she accused Nick Carter of? Read on for everything you need to know.

Who is Melissa Schuman?

Melissa Schuman, 39, is an American singer and actress best known as a member of the girl group Dream.

The band originally formed in October 1998 and their debut single He Loves U Not became a platinum hit, peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 17 in the UK Singles Chart.

Apart from a few mini-reunions over the years, the American girl group has broken up and is no longer releasing new music.

Schuman is also known for her brief acting career, which included appearances in the films Love Don’t Cost A Thing and Silent Scream.

She recorded a song with Nick Carter called There For Me in 2004, after they both appeared in the film The Hollow.

The singer is now married to choreographer Brandon Henschel after the couple tied the knot in 2006. They have one son together named Elijah, who is 13 years old.

What has Melissa Schuman accused Nick Carter of?

Melissa Schuman claims Nick Carter raped her in his Santa Monica apartment in 2003.

She first came forward with the claims in a blog post published in 2017, claiming she was only 18 years old and a virgin at the time.

Carter has previously denied her accusation and insisted their sexual encounter was consensual.

He said in a statement at the time: “I am shocked and saddened by Ms Schuman’s allegations.

“Melissa never said anything to me when we were together or at any time because everything we did was not consensual. We would record a song and perform together, and I was always respectful and supportive of Melissa, both personally and professionally.

“This is the first I’m hearing about these allegations, almost 20 years later. It is contrary to my nature and everything I hold dear to deliberately cause inconvenience or harm to anyone.”

Schuman was initially unable to sue due to a 10-year statute of limitations, but the law changed in California in 2023, changing the statute of limitations for sexual assault. She filed the lawsuit in January 2023.

Schuman accused Carter of forcing her to perform and perform oral sex at a time when he was 22 and she was 18. She said her first sexual experience was with Carter, despite her insisting to him that she did not want sex until she was married.

Carter’s attorney Liane K. Wakayama told DailyMail.com in a statement at the time: “For years, Melissa and Jerome Schuman conspired with anyone they could manipulate to pile up false claims against Nick Carter in a brazen attempt to get rich. from him.’

In the new docuseries, Schuman addresses the “hell on earth” she faced after making the allegations, which included hate speech from Backstreet Boys fans who questioned her credibility.

Carter has denied all of Schuman’s allegations.

What other accusations are there against Nick Carter?

Nick Carter has been accused of sexual abuse by two other women in separate lawsuits.

The Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) artist has denied all allegations made against him in the separate lawsuits.

Shannon “Shay” Ruth alleged that Nick Carter raped her on a tour bus in 2001 when she was under 17 years old. She filed a lawsuit against Carter in December 2022 for sexual assault.

Ruth claims the star pulled down his trousers and exposed himself to her in a bathroom – before he allegedly forced her to perform oral sex on him and then raped her.

She described the “pain, confusion, frustration, shame and self-harm” the alleged incident had caused and claimed Carter had “threatened her and tried to silence her” in the immediate aftermath.

Carter denied the allegations in a December 2022 statement, which began: “This claim about an incident that allegedly occurred more than twenty years ago is not only legally meritless, but completely untrue.”

“Unfortunately, Ms. Ruth has been manipulated into making false accusations about Nick for several years – and those accusations have changed repeatedly and materially over time,” the statement continued.

“No one should be fooled by a press stunt orchestrated by an opportunistic lawyer. There is absolutely no truth to this claim, and we have no doubt that the courts will quickly realize this,” the statement concluded.

A Las Vegas judge ruled in March 2023 that Carter could file a counterclaim against Ruth after he claimed she falsely accused him of attempted extortion.

A third woman, Ashley Repp, has also accused Nick of sexual misconduct and filed a lawsuit in August 2023. The incident is said to have occurred in Florida in 2003.

Last year, following the most recent accusation from Repp — who was referred to only by her initials at the time — Carter’s attorney Dale Hayes Jr. told DailyMail.com that Nick denies her claims, while describing the three lawsuits as “malicious schemes.”

In February 2024, Carter named Schuman in the $2.3 million lawsuit against Shannon Ruth, TMZ reported.

In the lawsuit filed by Carter, the boy band alum said Schuman coached Ruth in an extortion attempt that he said cost him millions in lost wages.

How has Nick Carter responded to the accusations?

Nick Carter denies all allegations and claims all his sexual assault accusers were ‘orchestrated’ to blackmail him.

The 44-year-old singer filed a motion for summary judgment against Shannon Ruth earlier this month, via American weekly.

“Ruth’s goal was simple: to attract as much attention as possible in the hope that Carter would be canceled. For a brief moment, it worked,” the filing said.

“ABC canceled the Backstreet Boys’ Christmas special, A Very Backstreet Holiday, and Carter was left to continue fighting for his innocence and his family,” the filing added.

“Now, over a year later, Carter has obtained all the evidence needed to prove that he was telling the truth all along – he did not rape Ruth or anyone else,” the filing continued.

The filing adds that others who have accused him, such as Melissa Schuman and an accuser known as AR, have “orchestrated” their claims.

The singer claims it’s all a “scheme to gain fame and extort money from Carter,” adding that Ruth fabricated her testimony and claims it’s a “factual impossibility.”

Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter airs May 27 and 28 on Investigation Discovery. The episodes are also streaming on Max.