Melissa Schuman felt that the track she recorded with Nick Carter was secretly meant for use as an alibi for him.
In 2001, the boy band cup undoubtedly runneth over. It was the peak of the largely manufactured musical group craze, and teenage women the world over could not get sufficient of them. From 98 Levels to N’Sync again to LMNT and O-City, there was sufficient synchronized dancing to get you thru any slumber celebration. For those who checked any teenage woman’s bed room wall throughout this time, you had been certain to discover a group of smiling, frosted tipped boys staring into your younger eyes.
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Fortunately the style was additionally dominated by woman teams who ran after the Spice Ladies wannabe walked. Diehard followers of this fashion of contrived leisure could have fond reminiscences of Dream, who had been cobbled collectively within the late ’90s by a expertise scout after which later signed to Unhealthy Boy Data. It was throughout this time that one member, Melissa Schuman, alleged she was raped by Nick Carter from the Backstreet Boys. She selected to disclose this greater than 15 years later. The place is she now? This is what we all know.
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What’s Melissa Schuman doing now?
In Could 2024, Investigation Discovery (ID) launched a documentary detailing the controversies surrounding each Nick and Aaron Carter. Whereas Aaron’s points are largely associated to his struggles with substance abuse and psychological well being, Nick’s are centered on the numerous allegations of sexual assault introduced in opposition to him by quite a few girls. Schuman is only one of them.
In her TikTok bio, Schuman describes herself as a two-time platinum recording artist, a sexual assault survivor and advocate, and SAG-AFTRA actor. A lot of her movies are dedicated to talking out about Nick and her personal alleged incident, however she additionally offers help for different survivors. Often, Schuman may also put up hilarious movies that includes her husband and son.
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In April 2023, Schuman sued Carter after California Governor Gavin Newsom “accepted a invoice that revived some sexual assault claims that had been barred as a result of relevant statute of limitations having expired,” reported USA Right now. In September 2018, California prosecutors dismissed the assault cost in opposition to Carter as a result of statute of limitations. Schuman instructed the Related Press on the time that “extra must be carried out to accommodate retroactive assault claims,” per the BBC.
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After the alleged assault, Melissa Schuman and Nick Carter recorded a track collectively.
One factor folks like to concentrate on in relation to sexual assault is not what the accused is doing however slightly, the conduct of the alleged sufferer. In Schuman’s case, she claims Carter raped her in 2003 when she was solely 18 years previous. Quickly after, the 2 recorded a track collectively. This appeared odd given what Schuman says Carter did to her. Within the ID docuseries, Schuman addresses that state of affairs.
She did not wish to report the duet with Carter, and even went so far as telling her administration she had little interest in doing it. Sadly, this was framed as a possibility for Schuman to launch a solo profession and he or she felt trapped as if this was the one method. It did not assist that she and Carter had been working with the identical supervisor, a person by the title of Kenneth Crear, who approached Schuman with the track.
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“Once I look again on this track now, it feels nearly premeditated, the place it was introduced as if it was going to truly assist me, however in actuality it feels extra like an alibi for him,” she stated within the documentary. “Folks don’t perceive and are like, ‘Properly, you adopted him on Twitter. You despatched him condolences. You appreciated a tweet.’ I used to be actually attempting my finest to seek out forgiveness for him and transfer on with my life.”
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In court docket paperwork obtained by Folks, Crear says he did not signal Schuman to his administration firm. Crear remembers solely attempting to assist the younger singer who by his personal account was “excited on the alternative of working with” Carter. Crear stated Schuman wasn’t anxious in any respect by the prospect of singing a track with Carter. As a reminder, one should not simply an motion fully on one other individual’s response to it. Schuman stated she was in denial about what occurred to her, therefore her response.
Schuman by no means filed a police report as a result of she was terrified this is able to damage her profession, however insists she did signal on with Crear’s firm. That is when he advised she sing with Carter. When requested if she must be alone with him, Crear assured Schuman she would not. That is why she was shocked to see him within the recording studio. It didn’t go effectively for Schuman who wasn’t signed to a report deal. Noticing how chilly she was, Carter had one factor to say: “Properly clearly we don’t like one another.”