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Nick Carter, member of the iconic boy band Backstreet Boys, is facing a fourth allegation of s*xual assault, this time in a civil lawsuit filed last week in Nevada. The plaintiff, Laura Penly, is accusing Carter of knowingly transmitting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) to her, which she claims led to her diagnosis of cervical cancer.
Penly’s lawsuit, which was obtained by Rolling Stone, describes events from 2005. She claims she traveled from Oregon to Los Angeles to meet Carter at his Hollywood apartment. According to the legal complaint, Penly initially had consensual intercourse with Carter on three separate occasions, but during a later visit, things allegedly took a disturbing turn.
Penly claims that despite making it clear she only wanted to watch a movie and wasn’t interested in any sexual activity, Carter allegedly ignored her wishes and assaulted her. She stated that Carter threw her onto the bed, bent her over, and forced himself upon her without her consent. Additionally, Penly claims Carter did not use a condom during the alleged assault.
The second alleged incident, according to the lawsuit, occurred two months later after Carter allegedly apologized for his actions and asked Penly to meet him again. Penly claims the second assault occurred at an apartment on Hollywood Boulevard, which she believed was Carter’s.
In addition to the accusations of assault, Penly alleges that Carter infected her with several STDs, including HPV (Human Papillomavirus), which is linked to health issues like cervical cancer. Penly claims she tested positive for chlamydia and gonorrhea in July of 2005, and later, in August, was diagnosed with Stage 2 cervical cancer.
Penly is seeking damages of over $15,000 and has demanded a jury trial.
However, Carter’s legal team has strongly denied the accusations. In a statement to People, his attorneys, Liane K. Wakayama and Dale Hayes, Jr., called the lawsuit “nonsense” and claimed it was part of a pattern of false allegations from multiple women. The statement accused the plaintiffs and their lawyers of trying to “ruin Nick Carter” by filing lawsuits decades after the alleged incidents. Carter’s lawyers have also labeled the lawsuit as a predictable attempt to “inflict maximum damage” with false claims.
In the midst of the ongoing legal battle, the timing of the lawsuit coincides with the premiere of the two-part documentary about the Carter family, titled The Carters: Hurts to Love You, which premiered on April 15 on Paramount+. The documentary sheds light on the personal struggles both Nick and his late brother, Aaron Carter, faced throughout their careers.