ABC Pulls Backstreet Boys Christmas Special After Alleged Nick Carter Sexual Assault

As we told you yesterday, Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter was hit with a lawsuit from a woman who claims she was sexually assaulted by Carter back in 2001. The incident allegedly happened on Carter’s tour bus following a Backstreet Boys concert.

The woman, Shannon Ruth, was 17 at the time and Nick was 21. She had autism and cerebral palsy. She says that Cater gave her alcohol, and then forced her to perform oral sex on him.

Afterward, the singer allegedly continued to sexually assault her on a bed. When the plaintiff tried to leave the tour bus, Carter allegedly stopped her. Ruth said he proceeded to grab her arm, leaving a bruise, and screamed at her. Ruth said that she was a virgin before the encounter, and that she contracted HPV after the experience.

And to make the situation even more brutal, Ruth claims she told Carter she was going to tell people about the incident, and she claims “he threatened to turn others against her — calling her a ‘r******* little bitch’ that no one would believe.”

That’s obviously a huge YIKES.

Of course, Nick and his team deny the claims. His attorney, Michael Holtz, wrote the following in a lengthy statement:

This claim about an incident that supposedly took place more than 20 years ago is not only legally meritless but also entirely untrue. Unfortunately, for several years now, Ms. Ruth has been manipulated into making false allegations about Nick – and those allegations have changed repeatedly and materially over time. 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.

We’ll see if that happens, but in the meantime, the allegations are impacting Carter and the Backstreet Boys.

The boy band was set to have their very first Christmas special on ABC next week, but the network announced they’ll no longer be airing it.

We’re sure there will be at least 50 or 60 hardcore Backstreet Boys saddened by this news.