NOTE: This article contains sexually explicit language and disturbing content. Read at your own discretion.
Nick Carter is facing new sexual assault allegations in a lawsuit that claims he sexually assaulted a woman and gave her a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that led to cervical cancer.
In the lawsuit, filed last week in Nevada, a woman named Laura Penly claims that she met Carter in late 2004 when she was 19 years old and he was in his mid-20s and they began having a consensual sexual relationship when they “would see each other approximately every few weeks” when she visited Los Angeles, according to documents obtained by People.
Penly alleges that she had asked the Backstreet Boys singer to wear a condom and he “refused,” telling her that he was “clean” from STIs, according to her filing. (Global News has not independently viewed the legal documents.)
According to the lawsuit, Penly says that prior to Carter, now 45, she never had unprotected sex with anyone.
She alleges that in early 2005, she went to Carter’s apartment but only wanted to watch a movie with him. Her lawsuit alleges that Carter “told her no because the only reason she was there was to have sex.”
The lawsuit alleges that the sexual assault “forcefully” happened on his bed, despite Penly “saying ‘no’ multiple times.”
Carter allegedly “failed to use protection to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections.”
Penly says she was told to keep the assault a secret since no one would believe her anyway. But a few months later, Carter allegedly apologized and she went to see him again where she alleges she was sexually assaulted for a second time, according to the lawsuit.
The woman alleges that Carter “infected plaintiff with various sexually transmitted diseases, including the human papillomavirus (commonly known as HPV), a sexually transmitted infection known to cause health problems such as cervical cancer.”
Penly allegedly tested positive for chlamydia and gonorrhea, as well as cancerous cells following a doctor’s visit in July 2005.
By August 2005, Penly “was diagnosed with Stage 2 cervical cancer and had to undergo numerous treatments,” according to the suit.
Penly claims she dealt with “severe emotional distress, physical anguish, medical issues, intimacy issues, and other complex trauma” following the diagnosis and alleged assault.
She is seeking damages in excess of $15,000 and is demanding a jury trial.
“It takes profound courage and resilience for survivors of sexual assault to publicly come forward in pursuit of justice, particularly in the music industry that has long fostered a pervasive environment of sexual exploitation,” Penly’s lawyer, Gianna N. Elliot, said in a statement.
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“Carter used his power, status, and fame to sexually abuse and assault multiple young women and avoid any accountability. This lawsuit aims to change that pattern,” Elliot continued.
“We hope that Laura receives the justice she rightfully deserves and that this lawsuit serves as a catalyst, empowering other survivors to raise their voices and hold their abusers to account,” Elliot concluded.
Carter has denied Penly’s accusations, which his lawyers, Liane K. Wakayama and Dale Hayes, Jr, called “nonsense from the gang of conspirators and their lawyers who continue to abuse the justice system to try to ruin Nick Carter.”
“It’s drawn from the same predictable playbook — lie in wait for decades until Mr. Carter is celebrating a professional milestone, then hide behind litigation privilege to make utterly false claims in an attempt to inflict maximum damage on Nick and his family,” his lawyers said in a statement.
Carter’s lawyers claim that the singer doesn’t recall ever meeting Penly.
“He certainly never had any romantic or sexual relationship with her. Ever,” they said.
Penly’s lawsuit marks the fourth sexual assault lawsuit filed against Carter.
In August 2023, an unnamed Pennsylvania woman filed a lawsuit in Clark County, Nev., alleging that the singer raped her when she was 15 years old in 2003.
In the legal filing, the woman, identified only as A.R., claimed Carter sexually assaulted her multiple times in 2003, when Carter was 22 and 23 years old. She alleged Carter raped her in separate instances onboard a yacht and a boat in Florida, and sexually assaulted her on a bus.
In one instance, A.R. claimed Carter provided her drugs and alcohol at a party onboard a boat in October 2003. After she became drunk, A.R. alleged Carter took her to a cabin where he allowed three other men to watch him rape her.
A.R. also claimed she contracted HPV from Carter.
She sued him for sexual battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
She was the third woman to file a lawsuit of this nature against the Backstreet Boys star.
Two other women, Shannon Ruth and Melissa Schuman, have also accused Carter of rape and sexual assault. Ruth said Carter raped her when she was 17 years old.
In February 2023, Carter filed a countersuit and denied both women’s claims. He called Ruth and Schuman “opportunists” who took advantage of the #MeToo movement to “defame and vilify” him for financial gain.
As part of earlier lawsuits, Ruth said Carter invited her onto a tour bus after a concert in Tacoma, Wash., when she was 17 years old. She claimed Carter gave her alcohol and forced her to perform oral sex before he raped her. Ruth also alleged that she contracted HPV from Carter.
In 2017, Schuman, a former member of the girl group Dream, accused Carter of sexually assaulting her when she was 18.
Schuman told the court Carter sexually assaulted and raped her at his Santa Monica, Calif., apartment in 2003 after giving her a sedative. At the time, Carter (then 22) and Schuman (then 18) were co-workers filming the thriller movie The Hollow.
In August 2024, Carter filed a $2.5-million countersuit against Schuman for defamation and interference with existing and prospective business contracts after she filed a suit against him for sexual assault and battery in April 2023.
Through his lawyers, Carter said Schuman’s lawsuit caused him to lose $2.5 million in business partnership deals with MeUndies, VRBO, Roblox and The Children’s Place, according to a Rolling Stone report. Carter also said ticket sales for his shows had slowed as a result of the lawsuit, leading to less profit.
Carter’s countersuit maintained he had been “falsely accused” of wrongdoing by Schuman, who has a “thirst for Internet relevance.” His lawsuit claimed Carter and Schuman had a “flirtatious” dynamic prior to having consensual sex in 2003.
Carter has never faced any criminal charges in relation to these allegations.
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If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse or is involved in an abusive situation, please visit the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime for help. They are also reachable toll-free at 1-877-232-2610.
— With files from Global News
