That makes them larger than life.
Former Backstreet Boy Nick Carter, 44, and his pop star brother Aaron Carter – who died at age 34 in 2022 of accidental drug-related causes – are the subjects of a new docuseries.
Called “Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter” and premiering Monday, May 27 (on ID and Max), the four-part series explores the rise of the famous brothers, their relationship, Aaron’s struggles with substance abuse and mental health, and the sexual assault allegations against Nick from Melissa Schuman, Ashley Repp and Shannon “Shay” Ruth.
A note onscreen states that Nick declined to participate in the documentary, and that he “denied the allegations and questions his accusers’ credibility.”
Here are the biggest revelations.
Nick’s text message
After Shuman, 39, tearfully recalls onscreen how Nick allegedly raped her in 2003, she says that following those harrowing events, she got a text message from Nick that read, “Why did you make me do that?”
“That text message freaked me out,” she said onscreen.
“I confided in my manager about going to the police and reporting the crime. He told me, ‘[Nick] has the most powerful litigator in the country,’” cautioning her that that would destroy her career.
In a statement onscreen, Schuman’s previous manager denied that Schuman told him about the alleged rape.
Schuman also said that she got doxxed and harassed so much from Nick’s fans online that she called a suicide hotline.
In a statement to Page Six in 2017, Nick said, “I am shocked and saddened by Ms. Schuman’s accusations. 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. This is the first that I am hearing about these accusations, nearly two decades later. It is contrary to my nature and everything I hold dear to intentionally cause someone discomfort or harm.”
Nick allegedly hit Paris Hilton
Nick and Hilton, 43, were romantically linked in 2004.
Onscreen in the doc, journalist Scaachi Koul said, “This is a 2004 story about Paris Hilton allegedly telling her friends that her ex-boyfriend Nick had hit her. There are photos of her with a swollen lip and bruises on her arms.” She added, “Nick Carter says he didn’t do it. There’s no real follow-up and generally the stories end with Nick’s perspective on it.”
Hilton never publicly accused Nick, but he denied the allegations, telling MTV News in 2004, “If they need the media attention, let them do their thing. My family, friends and fans know that this is not my character and I would never hurt someone that I cared for or do anything like the malicious things they are claiming.”
The Post reached out to Hilton for comment.
Nick’s ex girlfriend supports his accusers
Kaya Jones, 39, a former member of the Pussycat Dolls who was romantically linked to Nick, appeared in the doc to say that she saw the situation with Schuman as being, “A young woman try to speak and someone who thought he had more power and authority try to shut her up.”
She added, “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.”
She recalled meeting the “Backstreet’s Back” singer in 2004 and moving in with him after a mere four days together.
“It was a very fast relationship,” she said. “I thought I was going to marry him.”
She said that Nick was “never physically violent” with her but, “He would punch walls. He could get very angry. Nick was very good at messing with your head. He liked to control everything. So if anyone called my phone, he got really jealous. He broke my phone once like a temper tantrum like a child.”
Aaron supported Nick’s accusers
Ashley Repp was friends with Nick’s sister Angel Carter, 36.
She said she was 15 and Nick was 23 when he allegedly assaulted her at the Carter family home in Florida.
“Aaron and I were the same age. He knew about the incidents with Nick and he was always just really sweet,” she said.
“We did end up having a romantic relationship but ultimately we decided it was better if we were just good friends.”
After a second instance in which Nick allegedly raped her in front of his friends, “Aaron could tell that something was wrong with me,” she told the cameras. “Aaron was very 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.”
Nick’s lawyer has denied Repp’s allegations.
Their mom pitted the brothers against each other
Jen, a Carter family friend, claimed in the doc that Nick and Aaron’s mother, Jane, would compare their success, and turn Aaron against Nick. This led to Aaron forming a “massive chip” on his shoulder, while Nick had “no idea” that was happening in the background.
The docuseries notes that Jane declined to comment when they reached out.
Aaron’s parents allegedly dismissed his issues
In the doc, Aaron’s tour manager talked about a 2001 incident when the pop star found out his family went on vacation without him. In response, Aaron picked up a knife and put it to the side of his neck.
“Aaron would tell me he would break into Bob’s safe to get Xanax,” family friend Jen said, referring to Aaron and Nick’s late father, Robert Carter, who died in 2017.
“I wasn’t surprised. I would find these aerosol cans around the compound and found out that Aaron was using them to get high,” she said, adding that she was concerned enough to alert Aaron’s mother, but “nothing changed.”
Aaron’s cousin John Spaulding also claimed seeing Aaron “huffing paint” with his father, adding, “I don’t know how Bob even got into doing that with his son.”
Aaron thought Nick was cyberattacking him and hired a PI
Aaron, who struggled with sobriety, bought “like five rifles,” according to his ex, Lina Valentina, and allegedly had thoughts about killing Nick and his wife Lauren Kitt’s kids. He was reportedly getting better in 2021. That year, he welcomed his son, Prince, with Melanie Martin.
But, he got “horrific bullying” and cyberattacks that he believed Nick was involved in.
“I was hired by Aaron. He told me he was the victim of harassment. He wanted some help getting it to stop. A lot of it was from [a social media user named] Ganvel, who calls himself Aaron’s archnemesis,” Jennifer Huffman, the private investigator, said onscreen.
“Aaron believed his family was behind it.”
Aaron was allegedly inhaling computer duster
Aaron’s assistant, Gwen, said onscreen, “We were all just trying to get him the help he needed. But he would inhale computer duster and the span of that making you high is very high. A minute maybe. By the time law enforcement got to him, he seemingly was fine.”
“Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter” premieres across two nights on Monday, May 27 and Tuesday, May 28 from 9 to 11 p.m. on ID and streaming on Max.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-330-0226.
