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Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter is facing charges of s*xual assault, which reportedly caused the plaintiff s*xually transmitted diseases (STDs). The plaintiff claimed in her lawsuit that the STD allegedly caused her cervical cancer.
According to the lawsuit obtained by PEOPLE, plaintiff Laura Penly accused Nick Carter of s*xually harassing her around 2004. She was reportedly 19 years old at the time of the incident. In her lawsuit, Penly alleged that she contracted the HPV virus after having non-consensual int*rcourse with Carter.
"Carter infected plaintiff with various s*xually transmitted diseases, including the human papillomavirus (commonly known as HPV), a s*xually transmitted infection known to cause health problems such as cervical cancer," it stated.
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In July 2005, Laura Penly allegedly tested positive for gonorrhea and chlamydia, both of which are STDs. She also discovered cancerous cells in her body, per her lawsuit.
In August that year, she was officially "diagnosed with Stage 2 cervical cancer and had to undergo numerous treatments."
Penly is demanding damages in excess of $15,000 from Nick Carter owing to his "willful and conscious disregard" for her safety. She also demands a jury trial.
The Backstreet Boys star has since then denied all of Penly's allegations in an official statement.
Details about Nick Carter's s*xual assault allegations explored in Laura Penly's lawsuit
This is the fourth lawsuit filed against Nick Carter after three other women filed lawsuits accusing him of s*xual harassment. These women are Melissa Schuman, Ashley Repp, and Shannon Ruth.
Carter denied their allegations and countersued Repp and Schuman for alleged defamation in 2023. However, in 2024, a judge ruled that Carter cannot countersue Repp for defamation.
Schuman's hearing is set to take place in California in December. Repp and Ruth's cases will be taken to court in March 2026 in Nevada.
Laura Penly is the fourth woman to accuse Nick Carter of s*xual abuse. In her lawsuit, she detailed that her interactions with the singer allegedly took place between December 2004 and February 2005.
The two were initially in a consensual "s*xually intimate relationship and [they] would see each other approximately every few weeks" when Penly was in Los Angeles.
Penly added that they had consensual s*x at least three times before things reportedly turned against her. As per her allegations, Carter refused to use protection during s*x, despite her asking him to do so. The singer allegedly "refused" to wear a condom, which led Penly to believe he was "clean of s*xually transmittable diseases."
In her lawsuit, Laura Penly also mentioned that she never indulged in unprotected s*xual activity with any other individual before meeting Nick Carter.
She further alleged that in early 2005, she visited the singer's apartment once again to watch films with him. However, she mentioned in her lawsuit that the singer refused the same.
"Carter told her no because the only reason she was there was to have s*x," her lawsuit mentioned.
Penly alleged that the s*xual intercourse took place without her consent, despite her saying "no" multiple times.
Carter allegedly "failed to use protection to prevent the spread of s*xually transmitted infections" to the plaintiff, the lawsuit added. It also alleged that she was instructed to keep the assault a secret.
The lawsuit further detailed that Carter allegedly apologized to Penly a few months after the incident. She went to visit the singer in his apartment, where he allegedly assaulted her once again.
After this interaction, she was allegedly diagnosed with multiple STDs, including gonorrhea and chlamydia, which later led to cervical cancer.
Laura Penly also mentioned that she was allegedly harassed by Nick Carter's fans for speaking against him in a deposition.
A Marsh Law firm lawyer, Gianna N. Elliot, who is representing Penly, said in a statement:
"It takes profound courage and resilience for survivors of s*xual assault to publicly come forward in pursuit of justice, particularly in the music industry that has long fostered a pervasive environment of s*xual exploitation. Carter used his power, status, and fame to s*xually abuse and assault multiple young women and avoid any accountability. This lawsuit aims to change that pattern."
Elliot added that she would like the lawsuit to "act as a catalyst" so other victims of s*xual assault can come forward after Laura gets the "justice she deserves."
Nick Carter denies all s*xual assault charges in an official statement
In an official statement shared with PEOPLE, Nick Carter's lawyers, Liane K. Wakayama and Dale Hayes, Jr, denied all charges against him, including those by Penly. They said:
"This is just more of the same nonsense from the gang of conspirators and their lawyers who continue to abuse the justice system to try to ruin Nick Carter. It’s drawn from the same predictable playbook – lie in wait for decades until Mr. Carter is celebrating a professional milestone, then hide behind litigation privilege to make utterly false claims in an attempt to inflict maximum damage on Nick and his family."
Further, his attorneys claimed Carter never remembers meeting Laura Penly or having "any romantic or s*xual relationship" with her. Further developments on the case are awaited.
