A former member of the girl band Dream has hired a pair of high-profile attorneys to represent her in her lawsuit against Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter, in which she alleges Carter raped her in his Santa Monica apartment in 2003.
Melissa Schuman’s Santa Monica Superior Court lawsuit was brought in April 2023 and alleges sexual battery, sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Schuman also names as a defendant Carter’s company, Kaotic Productions. She first went public with her allegations against Carter in 2017.
On Thursday, attorneys Guiness Costello and Jamie Majerus filed court papers with Judge Lisa Sepe-Wiesenfeld announcing that they will now be representing Schuman. Costello served as plaintiffs’ liaison counsel in the high-profile cases involving lawsuits filed by former foster youth against Los Angeles County. He also represented over 400 survivors in the litigation against the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, contributing to an $880 million settlement.
Majerus has obtained multiple seven-figure settlements for her clients harmed within foster systems, churches, schools and youth organizations. Costello and Majerus work for the law firm of Gould, Grieco & Hensley and they replace lawyer Michael Geibelson.
In her suit, Schuman contends the now-46-year-old Backstreet Boys vocalist invited her to his Santa Monica apartment in 2003, while both were working on filming a teen horror film called “The Hollow.” The complaint further states that Carter, who was with a male friend, invited her over to “hang out and play video games.”
Schuman went to his unit with her roommate, and while there, Carter began making cocktails, and the lawsuit contends he put some type of drug in her drink. Carter led her to a back office under the pretense of sharing some new music he was working on, but he began sexually assaulting her, eventually raping her in a bedroom, the lawsuit states.
Carter countersued Schuman in July 2024, alleging defamation, intentional interference with prospective economic advantage and intentional interference with contractual relations. Carter contends that Schuman fabricated the alleged assault to extort money from him.
In Nevada, Carter has also filed a conspiracy-based lawsuit against Schuman and other women alleging sexual assault by the singer.
Trial of Schuman’s suit is scheduled for May 10, 2027.