Kaley Cuoco Name-Dropped In Nick Carter's Legal War With Sexual Assault Accuser

One of the women suing Nick Carter for sexual assault claims she confided in actress Kaley Cuoco days after the alleged incident ... TMZ has learned.

TMZ obtained the transcript of accuser Melissa Schuman's deposition in April, and it reveals the former Dream singer was grilled about who she told about the alleged assault.

Remember ... Melissa claims Nick assaulted her inside a Santa Monica apartment around 2003 ... when she was 18, and Nick was 22.

During the deposition, Melissa testified she confided in Kaley on the final day of filming in April 2003 ... Kaley and Melissa starred in a film, "The Hollows," released in 2004 … along with Nick.

Melissa also testified that she received a text from Nick after returning to the set and claims he called her and told her she was a "manipulative bitch."

As TMZ previously reported, Melissa and another woman named Shannon Ruth sued Nick over separate alleged sexual assaults. Melissa filed a police report in 2017, but no criminal charges were ever filed.

Nick adamantly denies the allegations, and is countersuing ... claiming the women conspired to shake him down.

Nick claims Melissa cost him millions in business and endorsement deals.

In his lawsuit, the Backstreet Boys star describes the night in question as consensual. His suit says, "After having consensual sex, [Melissa] and [Nick] fell asleep. [Melissa] slept next to [Nick] through the night."

The lawsuit adds, "At no point in time did [Nick] sexually assault [Melissa] or any other person."