Nick Carter has spoken out about an extremely disturbing allegation.
On Tuesday night, Melissa Schuman shared an emotional blog post in which she accused the Backstreet Boys member of rape.
Unlike other recent allegations made against celebrities for sexual harassment or misconduct, Schuman made it very clear in her graphic retelling:
She says Carter flat-out raped her.
We’ll share details from her accusation below, but Carter has now responded to this charge via a statement to People Magazine.
It reads as follows:
I am shocked and saddened by Ms. Schuman’s accusations. Melissa never expressed to me while we were together or at any time since that anything we did was not consensual.
We went on to record a song and perform together, and I was always respectful and supportive of Melissa both personally and professionally.
This is the first that I am hearing about these accusations, nearly two decades later.
It is contrary to my nature and everything I hold dear to intentionally cause someone discomfort or harm.
Schuman does acknowledge the recording she and Carter made in her blog entry.
She says they did not record the song together (“What was I supposed to do?” she asks about being told of the planned duet.
“I couldn’t tell my manager that his best friend had raped me so I won’t record this song.”), but that they did perform it on stage one time.
Schuman also describes how she was a virgin at the time of her encounter with Carter, which she alleges took place at his apartment in Santa Monica.
Once Carter got her alone, Schuman says he unbuttoned her pants and performed oral sex.
He then demanded she reciprocate.
And then…
“He threw me on the bed and climbed on top of me. Again, I told him that I was a virgin and I didn’t want to have sex. I told him that I was saving myself for my future husband.
“I said it over and over again. He whispered in my ear as to entice me, ‘I could be your husband."”
According to Schuman’s telling of it, there’s no way Carter could have believed the interaction was consensual.
“He was relentless, refusing to take my no’s for an answer,” she writes, adding:
“He was heavy, too heavy to get out from under him. Then I felt it, he put something inside of me.
“I asked him what it was and he whispered in my ear once more, ‘It’s all me baby."”
Shortly after the alleged rape and awkward duet, Schuman says she “quickly lost interest in pursuing a career as a recording artist.”
For what reason?
“I was broken. I was tired. I was traumatized,” she wrote.
You can read Schuman’s entire description of what she says transpired between her and Carter HERE.
Soon after she went public with the accusation, which she says she did in order to inspire other victims to speak out, Schuman Tweeted appreciation to all her supporters.
“I just want to thank everyone for the outpouring of love and support,” she wrote.
“Thank you for bearing witness to my story. Thank you for providing me a safe place to be open and vulnerable.
I love you all. Thank you for aiding me in the healing that I so desperately needed. I am free now.”
Schuman also included the hashtag “#metoo” with her entry, echoing the sentiment and the viral movement that has inspired countless women to speak out about the times they were victims of abuse of harassment.
See what we mean below:
