Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter ‘shocked and saddened’ by Melissa Schuman’s rape accusation

Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter has said that he is “shocked and saddened” by claims that he raped former Dream singer Melissa Schuman in 2002.

The pop star has now responded to Schuman’s lengthy blog post, in which she alleges that he forced her to perform oral sex on him before raping her when she was 18 and he was 22.

“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,” he told the Standard.

“We went on to record a song and perform together, and I was always respectful and supportive of Melissa both personally and professionally.”

He added: “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 said that she was inspired to finally come forward after another woman accused the singer of sexual assault, and was “victim-blamed” online.

In the blog post, Schuman claims that she first came into contact with Carter via a phone call arranged by their agents in a hope that they would date.

Schuman said that, although nothing came of it, a few years later she was invited to Carter’s apartment with a friend for a “casual hangout”.

During the evening, Schuman claims Carter invited her to his office to hear some new music that he had been working on.

“He went to his computer and started to play the music he was working on, he turned off the light and we sat there in the computer light listening to his new stuff,” she wrote.

“And naturally we started to kiss. He was aware that I was a virgin and that I held to religious conservative christian values. I was vocal about this. Everyone knew about this, including those who repped me.”

Schuman then alleges that Carter forcibly performed oral sex on her before forces her to do the same to him.

“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,” she wrote.

Schuman then claims that Carter forced her to have intercourse, despite her protestations.

“He was relentless, refusing to take my no’s for an answer. He was heavy, too heavy to get out from under him (sic),” she wrote.

A few years later, Schuman signed with Carter’s manager Kenneth Crear and had to perform a showcase duet with him.

After an allegedly frosty interaction, Schuman was dropped from the song and her music career eventually fizzled out.