NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) — ABC canceled an upcoming holiday special featuring the Backstreet Boys after a woman accused Nick Carter of sexually assaulting her when she was underaged.
The special, “A Very Backstreet Holiday,” was already filmed and scheduled to be broadcast on ABC on December 14th, featuring Carter, along with AJ McLean, Kevin Richardson, Brian Littrell and Howie Dorough.
The special follows the debut of the Backstreet Boys first holiday-themed album, which they released earlier this year.
Carter was accused of sexual battery on Thursday by a woman named Shay Ruth, who alleged Carter provided her with an drink named ‘VIP Juice’ and then sexually assaulting her on the band’s tour bus in 2001.
Ruth claims that she was seventeen at the time of the alleged assault.
In a statement provided to Variety, Michael Hotlz, an attorney representing Carter said the allegations against him are false.
“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 read.
“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,” the statement continued.
