AJ McLean and the rest of the Backstreet Boys are standing behind their fellow bandmate Nick Carter a week after he was accused of rape.
McLean was interviewed at the LAX airport and was adamant that the band was as unified as ever. McLean did not directly address the allegations against Carter but stated that the band fully supports him.
Carter and his lawyer have vehemently denied the sexual assault allegations made against him by a woman named Shannon “Shay” Ruth.
While the Backstreet Boys have performed since the allegations arose, their Christmas special, A Very Backstreet Holiday, was canceled by ABC. The special was supposed to air on December 14 before ABC decided to pull it.
Speaking to TMZ, McLean stated, “We all stand behind Nick and we all fully support him. He’s doing as great as he can.”
He concluded that the band “couldn’t be more solid,” suggesting that they were all united amid the allegations against Carter.
Nick Carter sexual assault allegations
The allegation against Carter arose on December 8, when Ruth filed a lawsuit against the singer. Ruth, 39, who suffers from autism and cerebral palsy, alleged that Carter assaulted her in 2001.
She claims she was 17 years old at the time, while Carter would have been 21. She detailed her claims in a press conference that was streamed on Facebook Live.
Ruth alleged that the assault occurred in February of that year after a Backstreet Boys concert when Carter invited her onto his tour bus. On the bus, she claimed he gave her a drink he called “VIP juice,” which she now believes was an alcoholic cocktail.
After finishing the drink, she alleges that Carter forced her to perform a lewd act on him and raped her. She claims he also threatened her afterward, grabbing her and leaving bruises on her arm while calling her offensive slurs.
Ruth claims that she had been hesitant to speak out for many years because she was fearful of him and also believed she could be jailed for speaking out.
Ruth sued Carter for alleged sexual battery of a minor in a joint lawsuit with three other women who have chosen to remain anonymous. They all allege that he had plied them with alcohol, and one claimed to be just 15 years old at the time.
Carter denies the allegations, and his lawyer claimed that Ruth was “manipulated” into making the charges.
Carter has been accused of sexual assault before
This is not the first time Carter has been accused of sexual assault.
Back in 2018, actress and singer Melissa Schuman filed a lawsuit against the singer alleging that he had assaulted her when she was 18 and he was 22.
She claims the incident occurred in Carter’s Santa Monica home. Carter, who was not charged, denied her allegations and stated that there was no indication from her that anything they did back then was non-consensual.