Backstreet Boys superstar Nick Carter has been dogged for years by allegations of sexual assault, and those claims take centerstage in Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter, a four-part ID docuseries in which three women detail how their encounters with the singer turned into scarring nightmares. It’s a #MeToo-inspired censure of fame and the power and privilege it breeds, and in its final episode (airing Tuesday, May 28), the series focuses on one of those individuals, who is disabled, claims that Nick took ugly advantage of her when she was just a kid—and is now fighting to hold him accountable.
Shannon “Shay” Ruth was a 17-year-old Mormon with cerebral palsy and autism when, in 2001, she attended a Backstreet Boys concert at Washington state’s Tacoma Dome. Waiting with others to get autographs after the show, she was invited by Nick to check out his tour bus. Once inside, she claims she was given drugged alcohol (which she'd never had before) and was then forced to perform oral sex, and to endure it being given to her by Nick, who afterwards threatened her and called her a “retarded bitch.”
In this exclusive clip from the episode, Shay and her lawyer Mark Boskovich stand at a podium during a press conference to announce Shay’s lawsuit against Nick, which she filed in December 2022. As Boskovich notes, “According to Disabilityjustice.org, 83% of women with disabilities will be sexually assaulted during their lifetimes, and just 3% of those assaults will be reported.”
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Given that reality, Shay notes in a new interview that, “I think about how many other people with even just autism, who are non-verbal, and I felt like I had to be a voice for the ones who don’t have one.”
Nick Carter, meanwhile, maintains his innocence, insisting that Shay’s claims are false.
At the end of her press conference, Shay tearfully makes clear that she hopes that coming forward will inspire others to do the same, and Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter—which simultaneously details Nick’s role in the tragic downfall of his pop-star brother Aaron—proves that her actions did lead to further action, culminating with an ongoing legal battle between herself and fellow alleged victims Melissa Schuman and Ashley Repp against the Backstreet Boys member.
That and much more is detailed in ID’s eye-opening four-part docuseries, which culminates with its final two episodes tonight, Tuesday, May 28, at 9-11 p.m. ET/PT on ID and streaming on Max.
