'A Very Backstreet Holiday' Canceled: Why ABC Christmas Special Was Pulled

It's been almost 30 years since the Backstreet Boys burst onto the music scene and the much-loved boyband was ready to celebrate the holidays in true 1990s style.

In early December, the band filmed a Christmas special, titled A Very Backstreet Holiday for ABC and Disney+ that was set to air on December 14. The special saw bandmates Nick Carter, AJ McLean, Kevin Richardson, Brian Littrell and Howie Dorough perform songs from their new album, A Very Backstreet Christmas, as well as some of their biggest hits.

The special also featured guest appearances from Seth Rogen, Meghan Trainor, Nikki Glaser and others.

However, ABC has made the decision to no longer air the special in light of sexual assault allegations made against Carter in recent days.

On Thursday, December 8, Carter was accused of raping a 17-year-old girl during the band's 2001 tour, Variety reported. Carter has denied all of the allegations against him.

Shannon "Shay" Ruth, 39, filed a sexual battery lawsuit accusing Carter of rape and infecting her with HPV after a Backstreet Boys concert in Tacoma, Washington, in February 2001. At the time, she was 17 years old and Carter was 21.

Ruth, who stated she is autistic and has cerebral palsy, gave details of the alleged assault during a press conference at the Los Angeles Beverly Hilton hotel.

She alleged she had been invited by Carter onto the Backstreet Boys' tour bus, where she was tricked into drinking alcohol, believing it to be cranberry juice. Ruth continued to detail how she was assaulted in the tour bus bathroom and on a bed, despite begging him to stop.

"Just because Nick Carter is a celebrity does not mean that he is excused from his crimes," Ruth said at the press conference. "I am a survivor and always will be."

In a statement to Variety, Carter's attorney Michael Holtz said: "This claim about an incident that supposedly took place more than 20 years ago is not only legally meritless but also entirely untrue.

"Unfortunately, for several years now, Ms. Ruth has been manipulated into making false allegations about Nick – and those allegations have changed repeatedly and materially over time. No one should be fooled by a press stunt orchestrated by an opportunistic lawyer – there is nothing to this claim whatsoever, which we have no doubt the courts will quickly realize."

Newsweek has contacted Carter's representatives for comment.

This isn't the first time Carter has faced allegations of sexual assault. The Guardian reported in 2018 that Melissa Schuman, a former member of the girl band Dream, claimed she was forced to have sex with Carter "against my will" when she was 18 years old and he was 22.

Carter denied the allegations and he has never been charged with any criminal offence.

ABC will air comedy repeats in place of A Very Backstreet Holiday on Wednesday, December 14.