Nick Carter, a member of the Backstreet Boys, is facing a legal case involving allegations of sexual assault. A trial has been scheduled for August 4, 2025, with a status check on trial readiness set for May 29, 2025. The case involves Shannon Ruth, a 39-year-old woman with autism and cerebral palsy, who filed a lawsuit in December 2022. She claims that Carter assaulted her after a concert in Tacoma, Washington, in February 2001, when she was 17 years old. Carter has denied the allegations and is also facing similar accusations from other women, as reported by FOX5 Vegas.

Singer Carter has moved forward with a countersuit against Ruth. A Nevada Supreme Court judge ruled that Carter's counterclaim can proceed. Judge Nancy L. Allf denied Ruth's anti-SLAPP motion, stating Ruth "failed to satisfy her burden." The judge's decision was based on Ruth's failure to clearly identify the specific statements that supported her motion. Carter's defense relies on affidavits from witnesses suggesting there were no chances for the alleged assault, as Carter and the band left the venue shortly after their performance, as stated by Rolling Stone.

Nick Carter filed a counterclaim in February 2023 against Ruth and Melissa Schuman. His legal team says the accusations are meant to "defame and vilify Carter and otherwise ruin his reputation for the purposes of garnering attention and fame and/or extorting money from Carter." He is also suing Schuman for $2.5 million for defamation and interfering with his contracts. In August 2023, the court allowed Carter to continue his case against Schuman. The court ruled that if Carter's evidence is true, it "establishes that Carter did not sexually assault Ruth following the Backstreet Boys concert in 2001," and any statements Ruth made about the incident were "made with knowledge of their falsity," according to Rolling Stone.