Ruth's lawyer had allegedly taken advantage of the situation by manipulating Ruth into making her sexual misconduct allegations about Carter and called the lawsuit a "press stunt" by Ruth's lawyers. Ruth's complaint includes allegations from three other Jane Does, including a victim who was 15 years old. All four people say that Carter sexually assaulted them and infected them with HPV. All four people also said Carter provided them with alcohol before the assaults. Following the release of the lawsuit, ABC canceled "A Very Backstreet Holiday," a television special featuring the Backstreet Boys that was scheduled to air the following week on December 14, 2022. Melissa Schuman In November 2017, during the #MeToo movement, Melissa Schuman, a former member of the girl band Dream, publicly claimed Carter forced her to have sex against her will. The alleged incident occurred in 2003, when he was 22 and she was 18, according to paperwork filed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. Schuman stated that Carter provided alcohol and took her virginity by force. Schuman stated that she was emboldened to disclose the incident after observing the similarities to a 2006 rape accusation. Carter denied Schuman's allegation. 2006 incident In October 2017, Radar Online reported on a March 2006 incident involving a 20-year-old fan at a house party, with information obtained from an incident report from the police department in West Allis, Wisconsin. The alleged victim, whose name was not disclosed, stated that after drinking with Carter and his friend, Rob Kalouch, Carter digitally penetrated her and the two men forced her to perform oral sex. She stated that she refused them, telling them that she had a boyfriend and was "saving herself for marriage". The alleged victim stated that later the two attempted to have sex with her later as she pretended to be asleep. The report stated that afterwards, she was brought to the hospital by her sister, where she was interviewed by police. The victim did not press charges, and Carter refused to speak with investigators regarding the incident. Melissa Schuman later said in her rape accusation that reading about this alleged incident encouraged her to speak about her own experience. Substance abuse Carter has acknowledged ongoing struggles with drug and alcohol abuse. He revealed that he started drinking when he was just two years old and again at nine. He says that he became sober after being