Backstreet Boys Holiday Special Cut After Nick Carter Rape Allegations

“A Very Backstreet Holiday” was filmed this month in Los Angeles and was slated to air December 14. The seasonal special was set to feature Carter, AJ McLean, Kevin Richardson, Brian Littrell and Howie Dorough performing hits from “A Very Backstreet Christmas,” with appearances from Seth Rogen, Meghan Trainor, Rob Riggle, Nikki Glaser, Ron Funches and Atsuko Okatsuka.

A sexual battery lawsuit, filed Thursday, claims Carter raped Shannon “Shay” Ruth and infected her with HPV when she was 17 and he was 21. She alleges that the assault occurred in February of 2001 after she attended a Backstreet Boys Concert in Tacoma, Washington.

During a press conference at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, Ruth shared further details on the assault. She said that Carter forced himself on her while she “begged him to stop.” Ruth, who is autistic and lives with cerebral palsy, added that Carter called her a “r******* little bitch,” telling her that no one would believe her if she reported him.

Carter denies the allegations. His attorney said in a statement: “This claim about an incident that supposedly took place more than 20 years ago is not only legally meritless but also entirely untrue.”

The statement continues: “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.”

Photo via Getty/ JC Olivera