Backstreet Boys

Nick's attorney, Liane K. Wakayama tells us, "Melissa Schuman has been peddling this tale for many years, but her allegation was false when she first made it back in 2017 - and it still is. A judge in Nevada recently ruled, after reviewing the extensive evidence we laid out, that there are strong grounds for Nick Carter to proceed with his lawsuit against Ms. Schuman for plotting to damage, defame and extort Nick, his associates, his friends and his family."

Liane continues, “In light of our progress in Nevada, this kind of response is at once both predictable and pathetic. But this PR stunt won’t shake Nick from his determination to hold Ms. Schuman and her co-conspirators to account for the immeasurable pain and suffering their extortionate conduct has caused.”

Nick Carter is being taken to court by singer Melissa Schuman, more than 5 years after she pushed for him to be criminally charged for allegedly sexually assaulting her.

Here's the deal -- Schuman is suing the Backstreet Boys singer, claiming he sexually assaulted her in 2002 in Santa Monica ... when she was 18 and he was 22. In the suit, she alleges he forcibly performed oral sex on her, and made her do the same to him.

Schuman, who was in the girl group Dream, claims Carter then took her virginity, despite her telling him she was saving herself for marriage.

She originally accused him of this back in 2017 ... she filed a police report and wanted Carter to face criminal charges, but the D.A.'s office declined to prosecute.

Schuman now believes a new bill amending the statute of limitations for civil actions revives her claim, which is why she's looking to take it all to a judge.

Nick has denied all of her allegations, and, in fact, sued Schuman for $2.3 million earlier this year ... claiming she had been trying to extort money from him for years. That suit was part of his ongoing litigation against Shannon Ruth, who's also accused Carter of sexual assault on a tour bus.

Backstreet Boys singer AJ McLean is hitting pause on his marriage, separating from his wife, but not divorcing ... TMZ has learned.

AJ and Rochelle DeAnna McLean tell TMZ ... "Marriage is hard, but worth it. We have mutually decided to separate temporarily to work on ourselves, and on our marriage with the hope of building a stronger future."

They continue, "The plan is to come back together and continue to nurture our love for one another, and our family. We ask for respect and privacy at this time.

Separation is hard enough without the commentary, please be kind and remember there are children involved."

AJ and Rochelle tied the knot back in 2011 after 6 years of dating ... saying "I Do" at the Beverly Hills Hotel with the rest of his Backstreet Boys crew in attendance.

Nick Carter is bringing backup to the sexual battery lawsuit against him ... he says he has a dozen witnesses who claim his accuser is full of BS.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the Backstreet Boys member says he has 12 people who have testified the alleged victim's version of events can't possibly be true.

TMZ broke the story ... Nick is being sued by a woman named Shannon Ruth, who filed a lawsuit in December claiming he sexually assaulted her after a concert way back in 2001 when she was underage.

But, Nick says not so fast ... he claims he has 12 witnesses from the concert -- fans, security personnel and a talent manager -- who say the accuser's story is "factually impossible."

Remember ... Ruth, who says she is autistic and has cerebral palsy, claims she got in line to get Nick's autograph after the show, when he allegedly invited her back to his tour bus, plied her with alcohol and forced her to perform oral sex on him.

But, Nick says his dozen witnesses testified it was impossible for him to interact with the alleged victim after the concert ... they say there was no autograph line and fans had no access to the tour bus staging area.

What's more, Nick says one of Ruth's close friends at the time testified Ruth is lying about being autistic and suffering from cerebral palsy ... and she doesn't even believe Ruth was at the concert.

In the docs, Nick claims another witness testified they were on calls where Ruth's name was brought up as part of a plot to extort Nick ... an alleged money grab he's previously mentioned in his countersuit against Ruth.

The Backstreet Boys are unified in the midst of the rape allegations against bandmate Nick Carter ... according to fellow bandmate AJ McLean.

AJ was stoic at LAX Thursday, making it clear ... everyone in the group loves Nick and is standing strong with him during his legal battle.

TMZ broke the story ... Shannon Ruth, who is autistic and has cerebral palsy, filed suit last week, claiming Nick forced her to perform a sexual act on him while on his tour bus. She said she was 17 at the time.

Nick denies the alleged incident ever happened, but as we reported ... ABC canceled a Backstreet Boys prime time holiday special that was set to air this week.

Nick Carter is still front and center with the Backstreet Boys, and based on their live performance Friday night ... fans are backing him after a woman sued him for sexual battery.

BSB took the stage at MSG for Jingle Ball -- singing the Wham! classic, "Last Christmas" -- and the crowd went wild, particularly when Nick solo'd on the first verse. It was the group's first performance since Nick was accused of the 2001 assault.

TMZ broke the story ... Shannon Ruth, who is autistic and has cerebral palsy, filed suit Thursday, claiming Carter forced her to perform a sexual act on him while on his tour bus. She was 17 at the time.

Nick denies the alleged incident ever happened, but as we reported ... ABC canceled a Backstreet Boys primetime holiday special that was set to air this coming week.

Several Nick Carter hashtags, including #IStandWithNickCarter, were trending Friday, in response to ABC's move and the lawsuit.

Other performers Friday night included Dua Lipa, Lizzo and The Kid LAROI.

The all-star lineup drew plenty of NYC celebs in the audience too ... such as Bethenny Frankel.

ABC is pulling the plug on Christmas with the Backstreet Boys ... a late decision that comes immediately on the heels of Nick Carter being accused of sexual battery.

The band's special, "A Very Backstreet Holiday," was set to air on ABC next week, and featured all 5 singers -- Nick, Brian, Howie, AJ and Kevin -- but the network has canceled the airing ... TMZ has confirmed.

The special was shot last month in L.A., and, at this stage, would be complete and ready to air. ABC isn't offering any explanation for the last-minute cancelation, but with the announcement coming less than 24 hours after the lawsuit against Carter ... it's pretty clear.

TMZ broke the story ... Shannon Ruth sued the singer Thursday for sexual battery, saying she was 17 back in 2001 when was allegedly invited on his tour bus and given alcohol.

According to legal docs, Ruth -- who's autistic with cerebral palsy -- was then sexually assaulted by Carter ... and when she threatened to tell people about what he did, he allegedly called her a "r******* little bitch" who no one would believe. She says she contracted HPV after the incident and is now seeking damages.

Nick's attorney, Michael Holtz, told us the entire claim "is not only legally meritless but also entirely untrue" ... saying Ruth has been manipulated into making false allegations about Nick.

Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter is being sued for sexual battery, after an alleged incident with a minor back in 2001 ... an incident our Carter sources say is totally false.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Shannon Ruth -- who says she was 17 at the time of the alleged assault -- was invited by Carter to his tour bus after a Backstreet Boys concert in Tacoma, WA while waiting in the autograph line.

The docs say Ruth, who has autism and cerebral palsy, was asked if she wanted a drink ... she asked for apple juice, and Carter allegedly told her he had cranberry -- giving her a "red-colored drink."

Ruth says the drink tasted off, and Carter called it "VIP juice" ... but drank it to not be rude. She now believes it was a mix of alcohol and cranberry juice.

According to the docs, Carter then brought her to the bus' bathroom, and ordered her to perform oral sex on him ... Ruth claims she was crying during the ordeal, but he kept instructing her.

She then says Carter took her to a bed on the bus and continued to sexually assault her ... and after the incident, she allegedly said she'd tell people about what he did, but he threatened to turn others against her -- calling her a "r******* little bitch" that no one would believe.

The docs say Ruth, who claims she was a virgin before the alleged assault, had contracted HPV afterward ... and she's now seeking damages.

A source close to Nick tells us, "This accusation is categorically false, Nick is focusing on his family and mourning the death of his brother."

As we reported, Nick's faced rape allegations in the past, but has never been charged with any crimes.

Nick Carter says he's totally shattered by the death of his brother, Aaron, and proclaimed his love for his younger sibling despite their complicated and often rocky relationship.

In a lengthy tribute posted to Instagram, Nick poured out his heart, which he now says is "broken," sharing his deepest thoughts about Aaron's sad demise.

Nick's full statement reads, "My heart is broken. Even though my brother and I have had a complicated relationship, my love for him has never ever faded. I have always held on to the hope that he would somehow, someday want to walk a healthy path and eventually find the help that he so desperately needed. Sometimes we want to blame someone or something for a loss, but the truth is that addiction and mental illness is the real villain here. I will miss my brother more than anyone will ever know. I love you Chizz. Now you can finally have the peace you could never find here on earth….I love you baby brother."

As you may know, Nick and Aaron almost never saw eye to eye during their relationship, mainly in recent years. And, Nick publicly acknowledged this fact, pointing out his brother struggled with drug addiction and mental illness.

TMZ broke the story ... Aaron was found dead in his L.A. home Saturday morning after police received a 911 call of a man who drowned in a bathtub.

Authorities haven't confirmed an official cause of death, but we're told police will be doing a deep dive into his past drug use.

Aside from Nick's passionate words, Aaron's twin sister, Angel Carter, also honored her brother in an Instagram post ... vowing to hold onto their most cherished memories and sharing a series of throwback photos together.

Move over, Backstreet Boys, there's a new boy band in town -- introducing the Backstreet Bills!!!

Rookies on Buffalo's offensive line ripped their shirts off and gave a heartfelt rendition of "I Want It That Way" as part of their introduction to the team on Thursday ... and honestly, we're impressed!!

Tanner Owen, Alec Anderson and the guys alternated the classic lyrics as superstars Josh Allen and Co. watched the performance ... with the QB even turning on his iPhone flashlight to replicate a lighter.

There was also a bit of dancing going on -- proving the guys were truly giving 100% out there, even if they didn't have an empty airport to use for the big performance.

Rooks have been showing off their pipes recently as part of the yearly tradition -- as we previously reported, Eagles top pick Jordan Davis wowed the crowd with his cover of "Mary Jane" by Rick James just a few days ago.

Drake wanted it a certain way Saturday night ... the Backstreet way.

Drizzy took the short drive from his massive estate to the Budweiser Stage in Toronto to catch a performance of the famed boy band ... and it didn't take long for the Backstreet Boys to invite the city's most famous resident up on stage.

Drake joined the boys in "I Want It That Way," but before singing the group's biggest hit ... he told the audience how the song had an impact on his life.

It goes like this ... Drake said when he was 13 he was an awkward kid with a serious crush on a girl he knew, but apparently, the feelings weren't reciprocal, at least on the surface.

At Drake's Bar Mitzvah, the girl was there and came up to him and asked him if he wanted to dance ... and the song was "I Want It That Way."  Drake said it was the first time he felt cool.

Drake, who called the tune one of the greatest of all time, and the group then broke into song, and the audience went nuts.

AJ McLean would never bust a Kanye West and pee on a Grammy ... not because he doesn't have one to pee on, but because it's just downright wrong.

We got the Backstreet Boys member leaving 'DWTS' practice this week and wanted to get his take on Ye taking a leak all over one of his Grammys stuffed inside a toilet. No matter the message Kanye was trying to send ... pretty clear AJ wasn't a fan of the move.

Check out the video ... AJ says even though the Boys don't have a Grammy -- YET!!! -- he thinks what Kanye did was way outta line.

As we reported ... Kanye whizzed all over his own Grammy statuette to underscore his message about Black people needing a seat at the table. Remember, Kanye had been ranting about African-Americans not getting their fair share of the pie and instead are being exploited by companies run by Whites. He pointed the finger at the NBA and the music biz as prime examples. He also talked about ownership of his master recordings, blasting Universal Music Group and alleging they won't even give him a chance to buy them outright.

Our photog asks AJ if artists should own their own master recordings ... and the Backstreet Boy seems to somewhat agree with Kanye.

4:22 PM PT -- A stunner down in Louisville ... Maximum Security has been disqualified after a replay review of the final stretch. The second horse to cross the finish line, Country House, has now been declared the winner. MS was found to have been impeding another horse.

3:59 PM PT -- Maximum Security just won the 145th Kentucky Derby, beating out Game Winner ... which was the pre-race favorite horse to win it.

And by the looks of the race track and how far ahead MS broke out in the end, this baby loves the slop ... just eats it up.

Hollywood didn't skimp on the swank for the 2019 Kentucky Derby, including Mr. Tom Brady ... who came back in a big way after temporarily being outshined by Baker Mayfield.

Celebs were out in force Saturday at the Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, where much of the Patriots organization seemed to be in attendance ... not to mention some Broncos stars, like Von Miller, and other footballers from the Packers and Browns.

TB was there too, of course, and his Day 2 outfit definitely had a lot more swag than his Friday one did. You'll recall ... he was barely recognizable standing behind Baker and his pink suit.

All is well now though -- Tom looked great, as did his teammates. In fact, everyone was dressed to the nines on the day of the big race ... even the non-athletes.

Some other A-listers who showed up include Wilmer Valderama, NeNe Leakes, Backstreet Boys singers Kevin Richardson and Howie D, Joey Fatone, Stormy Daniels, Jeff Bezos, Richie Sambora ... and even Anna Nicole Smith's daughter, Dannielynn Birkhead, who wore her mom's iconic KY Derby look from 2004. Anna died of an overdose in 2007.

At the Kentucky Derby, it's always hard to figure out the best of the best-dressed. Everyone was looking fantastic, if we do say so ourselves.

Lance Bass says he's come to peace over his late former manager, Lou Pearlman, and it sounds like a new documentary about the guy helped with that process.

We got the former 'NSYNC singer at LAX Friday, where our photog asked about a new doc coming out that covers Lou's sheisty dealings and financial crimes while he managed Lance and co., as well as the Backstreet Boys in their heyday. It's called 'The Boy Band Con.'

If you aren't familiar, Lou got sent to prison in 2008 for running one of the largest Ponzi schemes ever. He pled guilty to conspiracy, money laundering and other financial crimes ... and got sentenced to 25 years in prison. He died behind bars in 2016.

More relevant to Lance ... Lou stands accused of robbing his artists blind throughout his career by way of shady business practices -- aka fraud. 'NSYNC, The Backstreet Boys and even Aaron Carter all sued Lou in federal court ... and either won or settled.

Brian Littrell's reaction to Joey Fatone suggesting the Backstreet Boys and 'NSYNC come together in one super boy band is pretty simple -- Bye, Bye, Bye ... it ain't happening until you get Justin Timberlake.

We got the BSB singer Thursday at LAX, and he absolutely destroyed Joey's dreams of the pop pairing that, honestly, would be Larger Than Life. Brian's point is ... right now BSB is bringing a lot more to the table than 'NSYNC can.

He's got a point. Backstreet was Grammy-nominated this year, starred in a Super Bowl commercial with Chance the Rapper ... AND they have a Vegas residency. All of that equals relevance.

But watch, Brian does offer a small ray of hope.

If Joey really Wants it That Way, all he's gotta do is get JT on the horn ... and then wait another 10 years or so. LOL!!!

When you're about to get one of the richest contracts in sports history ... what do you get your wife for her birthday?

Bryce Harper got his wife THE BACKSTREET BOYS!!

The MLB superstar took his wife to see the guys at Planet Hollywood in Vegas over the weekend -- and not only got her backstage for a meet and greet ... but, had the guys take her on stage for a 5-on-1 serenade!

Check out the video as Kayla Harper gets a flower and a special rendition of "Shape of My Heart" from AJ, Howie, Nick, Kevin and Brian!

After the show, Kayla wrote, "My 9 year old self lost her mind last night. Bryce has been surprising me with little gifts all week and one of them happened to be a black dress that he said I needed for Sat night."

"He let me know at dinner that he was taking me to see the Backstreet Boys... little did I know, the biggest surprise of them all was meeting them & then having them pull me onstage to be serenaded."

AJ McLean has all but signed up to be Demi Lovato's sponsor when she finishes up with rehab ... and he's got an entire plan laid out for her if she's listening.

We got the Backstreet Boy leaving Craig's in WeHo Tuesday night and wanted to know if he has some advice for Demi on how she can stay on the right path once she's out of rehab. Remember, AJ's been open about his addiction in the past and he's been on the straight and narrow path ever since.

AJ personally offers to help Demi battle with addiction and seems to have a plan that's relapse-proof. Among the advice -- surround herself "with people that aren't gonna 'yes' you to death." It's been just over 2 months since Demi's near-fatal overdose, but she seems to be doing much better these days.