ABC’s Christmas season special A Very Backstreet Holiday has been pulled from its forthcoming schedule in the wake of sexual assault allegations and lawsuit against Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter.
As Breitbart News reported, the lawsuit filed by Shannon “Shay” Ruth, 39, alleges Carter sexually assaulted her after a concert in 2001 when she was just 17, saying it filled her life with confusion and pain.
“The last 21 years have been filled with pain, confusion, frustration, shame and self-harm that are a direct result of Nick Carter raping me,” she said in a Facebook Livestream press conference alongside her lawyers.
She also claimed Carter infected her with HPV during the alleged assault, threatened her to maintain silence, and told her no one would believe her if she reported the incident.
The Backstreet Boys perform during the Z100’s iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2022 show at Madison Square Garden on December 09, 2022 in New York City. (Kevin Kane/WireImage)
Carter’s lawyer issued a statement denying the accusations this week, claiming Ruth—who has autism and cerebral palsy—is being manipulated by “an opportunistic lawyer,” adding the claim has been ongoing for several years and represents “a press stunt.”
Variety outlined the special was set to air on ABC on Wednesday, featuring Carter, AJ McLean, Kevin Richardson, Brian Littrell and Howie Dorough as they celebrate the season and perform hits from their 10th album “A Very Backstreet Christmas.”
Seth Rogen, Meghan Trainor, Rob Riggle, Nikki Glaser, Ron Funches and Atsuko Okatsuka were scheduled to appear.
The Backstreet Boys have continued to perform amidst the allegations and on Friday night the group performed, per People, at iHeartRadio’s annual Jingle Ball concert at Madison Square Garden.