In a new legal filing, Shannon "Shay" Ruth — a woman who accused the Backstreet Boys' Nick Carter of raping her in 2001 last December — claims that the singer is trying to "silence" her with his countersuit.
The document obtained by Rolling Stone sees Ruth allege that Carter, who she says raped her when she was 17 at the band's Black & Blue tour stop in Tacoma, filed a countersuit last month to "harass" and "intimidate" her. Carter's filing claims that he's the victim of a "conspiracy" that's attempting to "harass, defame and extort" him, calling the claims "legally meritless" and "entirely untrue."
The plaintiff's attorneys hope to harness Nevada's anti-SLAPP (strategic lawsuits against public participation) laws to have the boy bander's countersuit thrown out. "He seeks to use his wealth and celebrity status to outlast plaintiff," Ruth's lawyers wrote. "All while hiding behind being the 'victim' of the '#MeToo' movement and the preposterous notion that plaintiff is only seeking attention and publicity."
They went on to note the language of Carter's counterclaim, where his legal team said Ruth was "craving attention" and called her a liar.
"More glaringly, he labels himself 'an American icon,' as if to openly brag to the Court and to Plaintiff that he is a person of influence," the new filing reads. "It is exactly this type of claim that Nevada's anti-SLAPP statute is designed to prevent, or at minimum require a claimant to demonstrate a probability he will prevail on the merits in order for his claim to proceed."
Seeking $2.35 million USD in damages in his countersuit, Carter further accused Ruth of being "manipulated into making false allegations by Melissa Schuman and her father, Jerome."
Schuman, formerly of teen pop group Dream, came forward in 2017 to allege that Carter had sexually assaulted her in 2003. Upon investigation, Los Angeles County prosecutors decided not to file a case because the accusation was outside the 10-year statute of limitations — and while the law changed in California circa 2016 after the allegations against Bill Cosby, it only applies to alleged crimes committed after January 1, 2017 [via NPR].
The document obtained by Rolling Stone sees Ruth allege that Carter, who she says raped her when she was 17 at the band's Black & Blue tour stop in Tacoma, filed a countersuit last month to "harass" and "intimidate" her. Carter's filing claims that he's the victim of a "conspiracy" that's attempting to "harass, defame and extort" him, calling the claims "legally meritless" and "entirely untrue."
The plaintiff's attorneys hope to harness Nevada's anti-SLAPP (strategic lawsuits against public participation) laws to have the boy bander's countersuit thrown out. "He seeks to use his wealth and celebrity status to outlast plaintiff," Ruth's lawyers wrote. "All while hiding behind being the 'victim' of the '#MeToo' movement and the preposterous notion that plaintiff is only seeking attention and publicity."
They went on to note the language of Carter's counterclaim, where his legal team said Ruth was "craving attention" and called her a liar.
"More glaringly, he labels himself 'an American icon,' as if to openly brag to the Court and to Plaintiff that he is a person of influence," the new filing reads. "It is exactly this type of claim that Nevada's anti-SLAPP statute is designed to prevent, or at minimum require a claimant to demonstrate a probability he will prevail on the merits in order for his claim to proceed."
Seeking $2.35 million USD in damages in his countersuit, Carter further accused Ruth of being "manipulated into making false allegations by Melissa Schuman and her father, Jerome."
Schuman, formerly of teen pop group Dream, came forward in 2017 to allege that Carter had sexually assaulted her in 2003. Upon investigation, Los Angeles County prosecutors decided not to file a case because the accusation was outside the 10-year statute of limitations — and while the law changed in California circa 2016 after the allegations against Bill Cosby, it only applies to alleged crimes committed after January 1, 2017 [via NPR].
