'Fallen Idols' docuseries: Biggest revelations about Nick Carter's rape allegations
Brothers Nick Carter and Aaron Carter take center stage in a new investigation Discovery docuseries Fallen Idols. The four-part series introduces three women, Melissa Schuman, Ashley Repp, and Shannon "Shay" Ruth, who allege they were sexually assaulted by the Backstreet Boys member Nick. Schuman—a singer from the girl group Dream—was the first to file a sexual assault lawsuit against him in December 2022. Here are major revelations made in the series.
Nick assaulted Schuman after calling her to his apartment: Allegation
Schuman detailed her alleged rape by Nick in 2003 during the filming of the TV movie The Hollow. At that time, Nick invited her and a friend to his apartment for what she described as a "casual hangout." Schuman asserted that Nick then took her into a bathroom and forcibly engaged in performing "oral sex" on her. He then called her to reciprocate, saying, "He pulls off his pants...says, 'Now do it to me.'"
'It was consensual': Docuseries highlighted Nick's assertion
Afterward, Schuman alleged that when she declined, "He started to get really angry and irritated with me." She recalled, "As he was kissing me, I was telling him, 'I don't want to have sex,'" but he didn't stop. The day following the alleged assault, Schuman received a text from the singer stating, "Why did you make me do that?" The docuseries highlighted Nick's assertion that his encounter with Schuman was "consensual."
When Nick's ex-girlfriend reached out to Schuman
Kaya Jones, a former member of the Pussycat Dolls who dated Nick in the 2000s, appeared on Fallen Idols to support Schuman's allegations. Jones recounted coming across Schuman's 2017 blog post, where she publicly accused Nick of rape. Jones reached out to her via X/Twitter, offering to talk over the phone. "He knows what I know. He knows why I left him. So do I believe that something horrific happened to that girl? Yes, yes I do." Jones stated.
Nick's brother Aaron also supported accusers
Nick purportedly assaulted Repp—a friend of his sister Angel—at the Carter family home in Florida when she was 15 and he was 23. Following another incident where Repp asserted she was raped by Nick in front of his friends, she expressed, "Aaron could tell that something was wrong with me." "Aaron was kind to me...He didn't have a great relationship with his brother at that time because what he said were other similar events with his brother and younger girls."
Series explored the tragic history of the Carter family
Fallen Idols also sheds light on the tragic history of the Carter family—consisting of parents Robert and Jane and children Nick, Leslie, Angel, Bobbie Jean, and Aaron. Leslie reportedly died from a drug overdose at age 25 in 2012. Former pop singer, Aaron drowned under the effects of alprazolam (psychotropic medication) and inhaling difluoroethane at age 34 in 2022. Jean—another sibling—succumbed to a drug overdose at age 41 in 2023.
Meanwhile, Nick has denied the allegations made on 'Fallen Idols'
In the docuseries, Nick denies the allegations made against him. He questions the credibility of his accusers and declined to be interviewed for the series. Despite these controversies, Fallen Idols continues to explore both the accusations and tragedies that have marked the Carter family's history. The docuseries aired on Monday and Tuesday—broadcast on Discovery. Alternatively, viewers can stream the episodes simultaneously on Max.
