Nick Carter has been allowed to continue with his counterclaim against Shannon Ruth, who is suing the singer for allegedly raping her when she was 17.
Ruth’s anti-SLAPP motion against Carter’s counterclaim was denied on Tuesday over concerns that Ruth “failed to satisfy her burden,” People Magazine cited Nevada Supreme Court judge Nancy L. Allf’s ruling.
“Our resolution of this appeal has been hindered by Ruth’s failure to identify with specificity any of the statements that form the basis of Ruth’s anti-SLAPP motion,” the filing stated.
“We therefore conclude that any statements on which Carter’s counterclaims is based that are not specifically addressed in this order do not warrant reversal of the district court’s order,” it concluded.
Carter, 44, filed a counterclaim in February 2023 against Ruth and Melissa Schuman, who accused him of rape in April 2023.
Per his filings, the women allegedly exploited the #MeToo movement and used it to launch a five-year conspiracy to “defame and vilify Carter.”
He alleged that the defamation campaign was a means to “extort money from Carter.”
When Ruth filed her appeal, his legal team hit back with claims that it would have been “impossible” for Ruth to have been raped on a tour bus in Tacoma in 2001. His legal team also previously requested a hearing and asked the court to grant him a summary judgment on Ruth’s claims.
Fans have also confirmed that Carter was immediately transported to the Four Seasons Hotel in Seattle shortly after the concert.
The singer-songwriter Carter has faced accusations of sexual assault from three women since 2017 besides Schuman and Ruth. Carter was also sued by a third accuser who claimed he assaulted her at age 15 in August 2023, citing multiple such incidents.
