Fourth woman sues Nick Carter over sexual assault claims
Nick Carter, best known for being a member of the pop group Backstreet Boys, is facing a fourth lawsuit from a woman who alleges that he sexually assaulted her twice while they were in a relationship together.
The accusation dates back to 2005, when the complainant, Laura Penly, was involved in a romantic relationship with Carter. At the time of the relationship, Carter was 25 and living in Los Angeles, while Penly, then 19, was travelling to meet him from Oregon.
Her allegations state that she and Carter had consensual sex on three occasions, but on one occasion, he refused to listen to her when she said she didn’t want to engage in sexual activity and only wanted to watch a film together.
According to the complaint, Carter allegedly said that “the only reason she was there was to have sex,” and that he “then picked plaintiff up off the ground and threw her onto his bed” before forcefully engaging in sexual activity with her.
The ten-page court document also alleges that Carter apologised to Penly and asked to see her again two months later, only to rape her for a second time at a location she was led to believe was his apartment in Hollywood Boulevard.
These allegations come after three previous accusations have been levelled against Carter for historic cases of sexual assault between 2001 and 2005. Carter and his lawyers deny all accusations against him.
Penly is seeking compensation and punitive damages to be decided as part of a trial at a later date. Carter is due to appear in court for a trial for the first case in December 2025, and for the following two lawsuits in March 2026.
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
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