Melissa Schuman Addresses Nick Carter Rape Allegations

The former pop star is breaking her silence.

In a sneak peek clip of her upcoming interview on The Dr. Oz Show, airing on Friday, Dec. 1, 2017, Melissa Schuman opened up about her rape allegations against Nick Carter and explained why she decided to come forward.

"I forgive you," the 33-year-old began, directing her comments toward Carter (via Entertainment Tonight). "I don't want anything from you. 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."

"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," the former Dream singer continued. "I'd actually confided in my manager at that time about pressing charges. And I was told that he had the most powerful litigator in the country and that I didn't have the money to pay for an attorney to essentially defend me, if he were to come after me."

She added that her manager allegedly told her, "'Everyone's going to call you fame hungry, [and say] that you're trying to use this to better yourself or get your name out there and at this point there's nothing we can do.'"

As Nicki Swift previously reported, Schuman accused Carter, 37, of rape in a blog post in early November 2017. The alleged incident occurred in 2004 when she was 18 years old and working with the Backstreet Boys star on the TV movie The Hallow. Carter has since denied the allegations.

"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," he said in a statement. "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."

Carter is, unfortunately, one of several men in the entertainment industry to be accused of sexual misconduct since the Harvey Weinstein scandal broke in October 2017.