Nick Carter responds to underage rape allegations from autistic fan

Nick Carter is denying the bombshell claims that he allegedly raped a fan when she was underage back in 2001.

“This claim about an incident that supposedly took place more than 20 years ago is not only legally meritless but also entirely untrue,” the Backstreet Boys member’s attorney Michael Holtz said in a statement obtained by Page Six.

“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.”

Shannon “Shay” Ruth held a press conference Thursday, in which she slammed Carter, 42, for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was just 17 years old.

“Even though I’m autistic and live with cerebral palsy, I believe that nothing has affected me more or had a more lasting impact on my life than what Nick Carter did and said to me,” the now 39-year-old alleged, with tears in her eyes.

“After he raped me, I remember him calling me a ‘re—-ed bitch’ and grabbing me and leaving bruises on my arm.”

Ruth also filed a lawsuit on Thursday alongside three anonymous women – identified only as Jane Does – who also claimed Carter sexually assaulted them.

According to a copy of the complaint obtained by Page Six, the pop star allegedly lured Ruth into his tour bus after a concert in Tacoma, Wash., and offered her a red-colored drink, which she now believes was a mix of alcohol and cranberry juice.