Who is Melissa Schuman and what are her rape allegations against Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter?
The former Dream singer took to a blog to accuse the Backstreet Boys star of raping her in 2002
MELISSA Schuman has come forward to accuse Backstreet Boys singer Nick Carter of raping her in 2002.
The singer was in girlband Dream but her claims against Nick sound nothing short of a nightmare.
Who is Melissa Schuman?
Melissa Schuman is a 39-year-old singer from California best known for her time in the girl group Dream.
She married dancer Brandon Henschel in June 2006.
The couple has one child, son Elin, who was born in July 2010.
What are Melissa Schuman's rape allegations against Nick Carter?
Melissa Schuman - a former singer in the girl group Dream - has accused Nick of raping her in his apartment in 2002.
At the time, Melissa was 18, and Nick was 22, and she claims he performed unwanted oral sex on her before demanding that she carry out oral sex on him in his bathroom.
Writing on her blog, she said: "He was stronger and much bigger than me, and there was no way I would be able to open that door or have anyone help me."
She then alleges he threw her on the bed and raped her, despite her crying out for him to stop. Melissa also stated that she was a virgin and saving herself for when she was married.
The pair later worked together on the 2004 teen horror movie The Hollow.
Nick responded to the allegations in a 2017 statement: "Melissa never expressed to me while we were together or at any time since that anything we did was not consensual. We went on to record a song and perform together, and I was always respectful and supportive of Melissa both personally and professionally.
"This is the first that I am hearing about these accusations, nearly two decades later.
"It is contrary to my nature and everything I hold dear to intentionally cause someone discomfort or harm.”
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What are Melissa Schuman's biggest songs?
Melissa Schuman was part of Dream from 1998 until 2002, along with Holly Blake-Arnstein, Ashley Poole, and Alex Chester.
The girls scored their biggest hit in 2000 with He Loves U Not, with Alex being replaced by Diana Ortiz the previous year.
The song reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and 17 on the UK charts.
Their follow-up single, This is Me, also did well, but little was heard from the band after that, and Melissa quit in 2002.
However, the girls reunited in 2015 and toured the United States with other acts, including New Kids on the Block.
Sadly for fans, plans for a new album were quashed, and the group disbanded for a second time in October 2016.
What is Fallen Idols about and how can I watch it?
Fallen Idols is a docuseries focusing on the controversies centered around Nick Carter and his younger brother Aaron.
The four-part series introduces three women who have accused Nick of sexual assault, including Melissa.
The Discovery series premiered on May 27, 2024, on ID and Max and will continue to air across two nights on May 28.
Both parts are available to stream on Max and Discovery Go.