Melissa Schuman’s civil lawsuit against Nickolas Gene Carter and Kaotic Productions is scheduled for a jury trial on May 10, 2027, in Los Angeles County. Judge Lisa K. Sepe-Wiesenfeld has also ordered the parties to complete mediation by January 10, 2027, even though Carter’s lawyer argued that settlement discussions would be futile because the two sides fundamentally disagree about what happened.
Schuman alleges that Carter sexually assaulted her at his Santa Monica apartment after they worked together on the 2004 television horror film The Hollow. Carter denies the allegation and says the sexual encounter was consensual. The case is a pending civil dispute—not a criminal conviction—and the sources reviewed do not show a final judgment deciding whose account is correct.
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What the Los Angeles case is about
Schuman filed the lawsuit in April 2023. Her complaint names Carter and Kaotic Productions as defendants and asserts claims for sexual battery, sexual assault, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Schuman’s account, as described in the complaint and public reporting, concerns an encounter at Carter’s Santa Monica apartment after the two were connected professionally through The Hollow. The complaint and more recent reports primarily identify the alleged incident as occurring in 2003. Some earlier accounts and reporting have referred to 2002. That discrepancy remains part of the public chronology and should not be silently treated as resolved.
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Schuman first made the allegation publicly on November 21, 2017, when she described Carter as having raped her in 2003. Carter denied the allegation. She later reported it to Santa Monica police in 2018.
The civil complaint is Schuman’s formal account and statement of legal claims. It is not, by itself, a judicial finding that the alleged conduct occurred.
What Nick Carter says
Carter has denied sexually assaulting Schuman. His position is that the encounter was consensual and that Schuman did not tell him at the time—or for many years afterward—that she believed he had harmed her.
In filings and declarations publicized in 2026, Carter’s legal team relied on accounts attributed to former roommate James “Tony” Bass and Schuman’s former talent agent. According to Carter’s side, Bass observed flirting, kissing, and socializing and did not see Schuman appear frightened or distressed. Carter’s lawyers also said the talent agent characterized the encounter as consensual and attributed Schuman’s later distress to religious or moral regret.
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Those descriptions are defense-contention summaries. The witness accounts have not been presented here as findings credited by the court, and their significance will be contested in the litigation.
Carter’s lawyers have also pointed to later professional contact between the two, including the recording of a duet and Schuman’s appearance with Carter at an industry showcase. Schuman has said in documentary and legal-account contexts that she felt pressured into subsequent professional contact. Later contact, standing alone, does not establish what either person consented to during the disputed encounter.
Why prosecutors did not bring criminal charges
Schuman reported the allegation to Santa Monica police in 2018. According to reporting by The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles County prosecutors declined to pursue criminal charges because the applicable statute of limitations had expired.
That explanation concerns the timing of a potential criminal prosecution. It does not establish that Schuman’s allegation was true, and it does not establish that it was false. It also does not determine the outcome of the later civil lawsuit, which involves different proceedings and claims.
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Key dates in the dispute
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| November 21, 2017 | Schuman publicly alleged that Carter raped her in 2003. Carter denied the allegation. |
| 2018 | Schuman reported the allegation to Santa Monica police. Prosecutors declined to bring criminal charges after determining that the statute of limitations had expired. |
| April 2023 | Schuman filed the Los Angeles County civil lawsuit alleging sexual battery, sexual assault, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. |
| January 17, 2024 | A Los Angeles Superior Court minute order addressed Carter’s challenge involving the lawsuit’s forum and pleading posture. Later reporting summarized the ruling as allowing the California case to proceed rather than requiring it to be litigated in Nevada. |
| July 26, 2024 | Carter filed a California counterclaim reportedly seeking approximately $2.5 million and alleging defamation-related damages. The amount was requested in Carter’s filing, not awarded by the court. |
| January 21, 2026 | The Los Angeles court ordered mediation and set a May 10, 2027 jury trial. |
| June–July 2026 | Carter’s side publicized witness declarations. Schuman sought protection under seal for medical records and deposition testimony. |
| January 10, 2027 | Deadline ordered by the judge for the parties to complete mediation. |
| May 10, 2027 | Jury trial currently scheduled in the Los Angeles case, absent a change for good cause or another court order. |
Mediation and the scheduled trial
At a January 21, 2026 hearing, Judge Lisa K. Sepe-Wiesenfeld ordered the parties to participate in mediation. Carter’s lawyer argued that mediation would be futile because Carter and Schuman have fundamentally opposed accounts of the encounter. The judge nevertheless required the parties to make the attempt and set January 10, 2027, as the completion deadline.
Reporting on that hearing characterized the May 10, 2027 trial date as firm unless good cause supports a change. A scheduled trial is not a guarantee that the case will reach a jury: civil cases can settle, be narrowed by later rulings, or be rescheduled. As of August 12, 2026, the sources reviewed reported no final merits judgment resolving Schuman’s claims.
Schuman’s request to seal records
In July 2026, Schuman asked for permission to file medical records and deposition testimony under seal. She said that, after going public, she had faced harassment, threats, doxxing, intimidating messages, and efforts to discredit her.
The research available for this report did not verify that the court had ruled on the sealing request by August 12, 2026. The request should therefore be described as a pending application rather than as an order that the records are sealed.
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Related litigation involving Carter
The Los Angeles lawsuit is separate from related litigation Carter has pursued in Nevada against Schuman and other women who have accused him of sexual assault. Public reporting describes Carter’s theory in that litigation as an alleged coordinated effort to harass, defame, and extort him.
A Nevada judge previously allowed at least parts of Carter’s counterclaims to proceed. Permission to plead or continue a claim is a procedural ruling, not a finding that the underlying allegations are true.
Other women, including Shannon “Shay” Ruth and Ashley Repp, have filed separate civil cases alleging sexual assault by Carter. Those cases are not the same as Schuman’s California lawsuit. Reporting has described a separate Nevada trial schedule involving other accusers, but those proceedings should not be conflated with the Los Angeles case or treated as evidence that decides Schuman’s claims.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Documentary context
Documentary context: The 2024 Investigation Discovery docuseries Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter discusses allegations against Carter and the Carter family’s history. The program is a media source featuring the accounts and perspectives presented by its participants; it is not a judicial finding and does not replace the court record. Viewers should check current regional listings because availability for digital viewing or purchase can change by country and date.
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The documentary is relevant to understanding why the allegations received renewed public attention, but its framing and interviews should be kept separate from the legal question before the Los Angeles court.
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What remains unresolved
- Consent: Schuman alleges that the sexual acts were not consensual. Carter denies that and says the encounter was consensual.
- The date: The complaint and recent reporting primarily use 2003, while some earlier accounts use 2002.
- The meaning of later contact: Carter’s side points to later professional interactions; Schuman says she felt pressured. Neither fact alone resolves the original dispute.
- The witness evidence: Carter’s lawyers have publicized declarations supporting his account, but the sources reviewed do not establish that a judge or jury has credited those accounts.
- The sealing request: Schuman requested protection for medical records and deposition testimony, but no ruling was verified by August 12, 2026.
- The final outcome: The case remains pending, with mediation due by January 10, 2027, and a jury trial scheduled for May 10, 2027.
Reporting note: This article reflects the court filings and reporting available through August 12, 2026. Allegations, denials, witness accounts, and claims in related litigation are identified as such and should not be read as established facts unless a court ultimately determines otherwise.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nick Carter’s case with Melissa Schuman criminal or civil?
The Los Angeles County matter is a civil lawsuit. Schuman alleges sexual battery, sexual assault, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Carter denies the allegations. Prosecutors did not bring criminal charges after determining that the applicable criminal statute of limitations had expired.
When is the Nick Carter–Melissa Schuman trial scheduled?
A Los Angeles County jury trial is currently scheduled for May 10, 2027. The court also ordered the parties to complete mediation by January 10, 2027.
Does the lack of criminal charges resolve the allegations?
No. According to reporting, prosecutors declined to pursue criminal charges because the statute of limitations had expired. That decision does not establish either that the allegation was true or that it was false, and it does not decide the separate civil case.
Are the other cases against Nick Carter part of Schuman’s lawsuit?
No. Cases brought by other women, including Shannon “Shay” Ruth and Ashley Repp, are separate civil actions. Carter’s related Nevada claims against Schuman and other accusers are also distinct from the Los Angeles lawsuit.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: Schuman’s civil case against Carter and Kaotic Productions remains unresolved. Schuman alleges sexual assault; Carter denies it and says the encounter was consensual. The parties must complete mediation by January 10, 2027, and a Los Angeles jury trial is scheduled for May 10, 2027, unless the case settles or the court changes the schedule.
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