Key Takeaways
- Nick Carter denies Melissa Schuman’s sexual assault allegations and maintains their 2003 encounter was consensual, while his attorneys have gathered testimony challenging parts of her account.
- Schuman’s former manager Nils Larsen denied she reported an assault to him, while The Hollow producer Daniel Levin testified that he observed no fear, distress, or avoidance around Carter.
- In a separate lawsuit, Carter challenged Ashley Repp’s timeline with photos placing him in Las Vegas on an initially alleged assault date; Repp acknowledged she may have mistaken the date, which her complaint listed as approximate.
Nick Carter's legal battle with Melissa Schuman has taken another turn, with multiple witnesses challenging parts of the former pop singer's account of an alleged sexual assault involving the Backstreet Boys star.
According to court documents obtained by TMZ on October 26, Carter's attorneys questioned several people involved in the production of The Hollow, a horror film featuring both Carter and Schuman. Among them was producer Daniel Levin, who testified that he witnessed the pair interacting during filming but saw nothing suggesting Schuman was uncomfortable around Carter.
Levin said he "did not observe any fear, distress, avoidance, or behavioral changes in Schuman that would have suggested she had been sexually assaulted by Carter." He also maintained that the production would have addressed any reported allegations.
Another witness, Schuman's former manager Nils Larsen, directly disputed her account of reporting the alleged assault. Schuman previously claimed she confided in Larsen, who discouraged her from contacting police.
Larsen denied that conversation ever happened, testifying that Schuman never disclosed an assault to him. Instead, he said she told him she had a crush on Carter. Larsen also recalled seeing the two together during production without noticing anything unusual.
The testimony adds another layer to Schuman's lawsuit against Carter, which she filed in 2023. Schuman alleges that Carter sexually assaulted her at an apartment in Santa Monica, California, while they were working on The Hollow.
Carter has denied wrongdoing, maintaining that their sexual encounter was consensual. Schuman has also claimed she told fellow cast member Kaley Cuoco about the alleged incident. However, according to TMZ, there is no indication that Cuoco has been deposed in the case.
Schuman's allegations are not the only ones Carter has challenged in court. Earlier this year, the Backstreet Boys singer sought dismissal of a separate lawsuit brought by Ashley Repp, who accused him of three assaults in 2003, when she was 15.
Carter's attorneys presented photographs placing him at the Radio Music Awards in Las Vegas on October 27, 2003, the date Repp initially identified for an alleged assault aboard a yacht in Florida.
During her deposition, Repp acknowledged the possibility of an incorrect date, stating, "It is quite possible that I may have gotten that date incorrect." Her original complaint had identified the dates as approximate.
Carter has accused Schuman, Repp, and another accuser, Shannon Ruth, of coordinating allegations to secure financial settlements, a claim he has not established in court.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, help is available. Contact the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit rainn.org for confidential support and resources.
