Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines August 13
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Nick Carter denied sexually assaulting musician Melissa Schuman in a countersuit.
Carter, 44, claimed Schuman's lawsuit, where she allegedly falsely accused the pop star, was "intentional, malicious and oppressive" in a lawsuit filed July 26 and obtained by Fox News Digital. The Backstreet Boys star sued for a minimum of $2.5 million in damages, attorneys' costs and more to be determined at trial.
Carter's legal team painted Schuman's accusations as a "plot to smear" the "I Want It That Way" singer's image and "extort" him financially, according to the court documents.
NICK CARTER SUED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT BY SINGER MELISSA SCHUMAN
Nick Carter countersued Melissa Schuman on July 26. (Getty Images)
Additionally, Carter claimed the accusations forced him to retain security to keep his family safe.
"Carter and his family have been harassed for years, including being stalked, receiving relentless phone messages and even receiving multiple death threats – forcing the family to retain full-time security," the court documents read.
Nick Carter's legal team accused Melissa Schuman of trying to "extort" him, according to court documents. (Getty Images)
Fox News Digital has reached out to representatives for both Carter and Schuman.
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"Carter and his family have been harassed for years, including being stalked, receiving relentless phone messages and even receiving multiple death threats – forcing the family to retain full-time security."
Melissa Schuman accused Nick Carter of raping her in 2003. (Getty Images)
Schuman and Carter first met while filming the TV movie "The Hollow" together. She first came forward in 2017 accusing Carter of rape. The "He Loves U Not" singer claimed that Carter raped her in 2003 when she was just 18 years old. He was 22 at the time, according to court documents.
The lawsuit claimed Carter used "his role, status, and power as a well-known singer to gain access to, groom, manipulate, exploit, and sexually assault" Schuman.
"I've faced extraordinary backlash for standing up for myself; I am not the first, however my intention is that I am the last," Schuman said in a statement at the time. "It's time that powerful figures in the music industry get the message that they can no longer afford to enable and protect sexual predators. I'm fighting to make the music industry a safer place to work and perform."
Nick Carter denied sexually assaulting Melissa Schuman. (Michael Tran/FilmMagic)
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Carter denied the allegation in 2017, saying, "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."
Prosecutors declined to pursue charges against Carter at the time because the statute of limitations had expired.
Nick Carter has been in the Backstreet Boys since the 1990s. (Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images)
"The reporting party alleged that, in 2003, she was the victim of a sexual assault perpetrated by the suspect in his apartment," prosecutors said. "The statute of limitations expired in 2013. Therefore, an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the evidence is not warranted, and the matter is declined."
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