Nick Carter has launched a defamation lawsuit against his sexual assault accusers.
The 43-year-old singer has been accused of sexual assault by a number of women over recent years, but Carter has now countered their allegations, insisting that his accusers are simply trying to extort money from him.
In new legal documents — which have been obtained by The Blast — Carter has insisted that he won't allow his name to be smeared by opportunists seeking to profit from his celebrity status.
The pop star — who has vehemently denied the allegations — claims to be the victim of an extortion plot, observing that his accusers are making a concerted effort to harass him.
A section of the lawsuit reads: "Ruth and A.R.s' lawsuits are the culmination of an approximate five-year conspiracy orchestrated by Co-Conspirators to harass, defame, and extort Carter. The campaign was launched and bolstered by the #MeToo movement. (sic)"
In the documents, it's claimed that the allegations were sparked by a "salacious" blog entry from Melissa Schuman in 2017, when she accused the singer of sexually assaulting her in 2003.
Carter claims that Schuman and her family then recruited two other accusers as part of their defamation plot.
The Backstreet Boys star claims that the alleged co-conspirators previously tried to extort money from him through civil attorneys. However, those plans fell apart when the allegations were examined by lawyers, according to Carter.
What's more, the lawsuit notes that the accusers joined forces with Aaron Carter — Nick's younger brother, who died in November 2022, aged 34 — as part of their extortion plot.
The documents explain: "In the months leading up to his recent death, Aaron not only apologized to Carter for his involvement in the [accusers] smear campaign but publicly stated that [accusers] were liars. (sic)"
Carter is seeking damages of $2,350,000 for emotional distress, punitive damages, and attorney's fees.