Melissa Schuman, who accused Backstreet Boys singer Nick Carter of rape, explained why she chose to come forward now in a tearful interview on Dr. Oz.
“Well, since the Harvey Weinstein allegations came out, it was a big trigger for me,” Schuman said in a clip released by Page Six. “I started to notice that I had kind of suppressed a lot of the memories for years with all these other brave women coming forward.”
Videos by PopCulture.com
Last week, Schuman accused Carter of rape in a blog post. She accused Carter of forcing her to perform oral sex in a bathroom next to an office in 2002. She claims he took her to a bedroom, climbed on top of her and raped her. At the time, she was 18 years old and a member of the group Dream. Carter and Schuman were going to work on a TV movie together called The Hollow.
“I started to notice I had a lot of anxiety manifesting in my body,” Schuman told Mehmet Oz on Dr. Oz. “That was really making it hard for me to just carry on, like every single day it was really impacting me mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.”
Schuman said a friend’s words convinced her to speak out.
“Now is the time, there has been no other time in history that women have been able to stand up and speak out and be able to be supported,” she told Oz.
In another clip Us Weekly shared, Schuman tells Oz she forgives Carter.
“I forgive you. I don’t want anything from you,” the 33-year-old Schuman said. “I wish you only the best. I don’t want your money. I didn’t do this to hurt you or your family. I did this for me because I needed this healing, and I also came forward because I want to inspire other victims, other people who have been assaulted, to come forward and know that they have a voice.”
Carter has denied Schuman’s claims and said this was the first time he’s heard of the allegations.
“I am shocked and saddened by Ms. Schuman’s accusations,” Carter said in a statement last week. “Melissa never expressed to me while we were together or at any time since that anything we did was not consensual. We went on to record a song and perform together, and I was always respectful and supportive of Melissa both personally and professionally.”
Schuman’s interview with Dr. Oz will air Friday.
Photo credit: Dr. Oz
