With the arrival of the festive season comes an unexpected dose of drama that none of us had seen coming. The Backstreet Boys had worked on a Christmas special for their fans this month, and it was meant to be a breath of fresh air full of cheer, celebrating the most beautiful time of the year. “A Very Backstreet Holiday,” the special’s title, was filmed in Los Angeles, but it has been canceled and will no longer be aired on ABC.
Credit: @nickcarter
A Very Backstreet Holiday
The special was meant to be aired on ABC on December 14 and featured the Grammy Award-winning boy band The Backstreet Boys. The band members include Carter, AJ McLean, Kevin Richardson, Brian Littrell, and Howie Dorough. In the special, the Backstreet Boys were to sing songs from their long-awaited brand-new holiday album “A Very Backstreet Christmas.” It also included classic hits with appearances from Seth Rogen, Meghan Trainer, and Rob Riggie, just to mention a few.
A Sexual Battery Lawsuit
This whole incident started on Thursday by a woman who was allegedly so very wronged. Shannon “Shay” Ruth, 39, filed a sexual battery lawsuit against the member of the Backstreet Boys, Nick Carter. Ruth accused the singer of taking advantage of and raping her, simultaneously infecting her with HPV. All this happened in February 2001 when she was only 17 years old and Carter was 21. The events took place right after one of the Backstreet Boys concerts that was held in Tacoma, Wash. Ruth shared with the whole world these shocking allegations about the sexual assault. This was during a press conference that was held at Los Angeles’ Beverly Hilton Hotel. She was accompanied by her attorneys.
Credit: @nickcarter
What Exactly Happened 20 Years Ago
Shannon “Shay” Ruth was just 17 when the Backstreet Boys singer took her into his tour bus after his concert in Tacoma. She also claimed that Nick Carter gave her a drink he called “VIP juice” just before he sexually assaulted her.
“Carter tried to scare me into silence by saying no one would believe me if I told what happened,” Ruth said.
“He was nasty and threatening, saying I was going to jail if I told. He also said he’d turn people against me because he was Nick Carter, and he had the power to wreck my life.” The 39-year-old continued during her press conference on Thursday.
Ruth concluded her allegations by saying, “Carter took away my childhood and my innocence, but he cannot and will not take away my strength or my truth. I am a survivor and always will be.”
At this point and time, before any investigations are done, we cannot know for sure whether or not the claims are true. But to give her the benefit of the doubt, I think that what happened to her at such a young age was so horribly wrong, and Nick Carter should pay for it.
Credit: @nickcarter
Backstreet Boys Nick Carter’s Response To The Allegations
Nick Carter has not yet personally voiced any opinion that he may have on the matter. But his attorney Michael Holtz didn’t waste time in responding to the rape allegations. In his statement, he called the allegations made not only legally meritless but also untrue.
“Unfortunately, for several years now, Ms. Ruth has been manipulated into making false allegations against Nick, and those allegations have changed repeatedly and materially over time,” he said. “No one should be fooled by a press stunt orchestrated by an opportunistic lawyer. There is nothing to this claim whatsoever, which we have no doubt the courts will quickly realize.”
Why The Backstreet Boys Special Was Cancelled
The Christmas special was meant to make a joyful night to remember, harmonize and celebrate with all your loved ones. Sadly, however, ABC canceled it almost immediately after the rape allegations were made. A brutal but very fair thing to do if you ask me. Network comedy repeats have then replaced the show, and that will just have to do.
This move was probably because Nick Carter has faced rape and sexual misconduct accusations before. Two incidents were in 2017 when pop singer Melissa Schuman and Kaya Jones accused him of sexual abuse. The singer, however, never faced any charges.
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