ABC Pulls Backstreet Boys Holiday Special Following Nick Carter Rape Allegations and Lawsuit - Variety

“A Very Backstreet Holiday,” the Backstreet Boys’ Christmas peculiar filmed this period successful Los Angeles, volition nary longer aerial connected ABC, Variety has confirmed. The quality comes amid allegations that singer Nick Carter raped a 17-year-old girl during the band’s 2001 tour.

The special was acceptable to aerial connected ABC connected Dec. 14, featuring Carter, AJ McLean, Kevin Richardson, Brian Littrell and Howie Dorough arsenic they observe the play and execute hits from their 10th medium “A Very Backstreet Christmas.” Seth Rogen, Meghan Trainor, Rob Riggle, Nikki Glaser, Ron Funches and Atsuko Okatsuka were scheduled to appear.

On Thursday, a 39-year-old woman, Shannon “Shay” Ruth, filed a intersexual artillery suit accusing the vocalist of raping her and infecting her with HPV erstwhile she was 17. She alleged the battle took spot successful February 2001 pursuing a Backstreet Boys performance successful Tacoma, Wash. Ruth, who identified herself arsenic autistic and surviving with cerebral palsy, elaborate the alleged battle on with her attorneys during a property league held astatine Los Angeles’ Beverly Hilton hotel.

During the property league and successful the lawsuit, she claimed that Carter, 21 astatine the time, forced himself connected her arsenic she “begged him to stop,” and aboriginal allegedly told her that she was a “retarded small bitch” who nary 1 would judge if she spoke up.

Carter has denied the allegations.

“This assertion astir an incidental that supposedly took spot much than 20 years agone is not lone legally meritless but besides wholly untrue,” Carter’s attorney, Michael Holtz, said successful a connection to Variety. “Unfortunately, for respective years now, Ms. Ruth has been manipulated into making mendacious allegations astir Nick – and those allegations person changed repeatedly and materially implicit time. No 1 should beryllium fooled by a property stunt orchestrated by an opportunistic lawyer – determination is thing to this assertion whatsoever, which we person nary uncertainty the courts volition rapidly realize.”