Nick Carter is being sued for sexual battery by a woman who has accused the Backstreet Boys singer of raping her during the band's tour in 2001 when she was 17.
Shannon Ruth, now 39 and who has autism and cerebral palsy, has filed a lawsuit against Carter, who has strongly denied the allegations.
Ruth broke down in tears during a press conference on Thursday, telling reporters that the alleged incident occurred in February 2001 after the Backstreet Boys' concert in Tacoma, Washington.
She claims Carter, now 42, spotted her waiting in line for autographs after the show and invited her on to his tour bus, where she says the alleged incident took place.
Footage from the conference can be seen below (Warning - some readers will find the content upsetting):Ruth claims that Carter exposed himself to her in a bathroom before alleging that he forced her to perform oral sex on him, before raping her.
She says that Carter "threatened and tried to silence her" after the alleged incident, which led to her experiencing "pain, confusion, frustration, shame, and self-harm". Ruth also claims she had been a virgin beforehand and alleges that she contracted HPV (human papillomavirus infection) as a result.
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Ruth says that she was asked if she wanted a drink and claims Carter offered her cranberry juice and gave her a "red colored" drink which he called "VIP juice", which she says tasted "off", and believes it may have contained alcohol.
Ruth claims she was crying throughout the alleged incident but says Carter "kept instructing her", alleging that he called her a "r******* little b**** that no one would believe" afterward.
She added: "Even though I’m autistic and live with cerebral palsy, I believe that nothing has affected me more or had a more lasting impact on my life than what Nick Carter did and said to me."
Ruth's attorney Mark J. Boskovich said three other women are named in a joint lawsuit alongside Ruth under the alias "Jane Doe".
Carter's attorney, Michael Holtz, told TMZ in a statement that the claims were "entirely untrue" and that Ruth had been "manipulated into making false allegations" about the singer.
He told the publication: "This claim about an incident that supposedly took place more than 20 years ago is not only legally meritless but also entirely untrue.
"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."
A source close to Carter also added to TMZ: 'This accusation is categorically false, Nick is focusing on his family and mourning the death of his brother."
Carter has yet to speak out publicly following the accusations but shared a poster for a benefit concert in memory of his younger brother, Aaron Carter, who died in November aged 34.
According to Variety, a Backstreet Boys Christmas special that was filmed in Los Angeles earlier this month has been canceled in the wake of the allegations.