Backstreet Boys singer sued over bar fight
Abouncer at a Florida bar has sued Backstreet Boys singer Nick Carter (right) for attacking and choking him, labeling the star “nothing more than a backstreet thug”. Skylar Carden, 21, filed the lawsuit in a court in the Florida Keys, alleging Carter caused “bodily injury, mental anguish, pain and suffering,” attorney Mark DiCowden said. Carter was arrested on January 13 after he and a friend were escorted, drunk, by security personnel outside Hog’s Breath Saloon in Key West. The singer was originally shown the door due to his “unruly and disrespectful” behaviour, but he then became aggressive, beating and briefly choking Carden, according to the lawsuit. In court, Carter pleaded not guilty and was released on $1,500 (approx ` 1 lakh) bail. He broke his silence via a message on Twitter over the weekend. “I am human and at times it can be a struggle to balance a healthy lifestyle. I’m not perfect and for that I am sorry,” he wrote. Carden’s lawyer said that regardless of Carter’s celebrity status, the singer should respect other people’s rights, just like everyone else. “Nick Carter has shown the world that he is nothing more than a backstreet thug,” DiCowden wrote, adding, “Carter’s backhanded apology in the form of a tweet was a crude attempt to control public relations. No amount of fame or fortune justifies Carter’s shameful and outrageous conduct. To send him that message and deter his misbehaviour in the future, we will seek punitive damages against him as allowed by Florida law.”