Read part of her story below…
‘He was stronger and much bigger than me, and there was no way I would be able to open that door or have anyone help me. ‘My friend couldn’t help me, I didn’t even know where she was. So, when he placed my hand on his penis my thought was the only way to get out was to get him to finish what he had started,’ Schuman wrote.
‘I told him that I was a virgin and I didn’t want to have sex. I told him that I was saving myself for my future husband. I said it over and over again,’ she wrote.
After the alleged rape, Schuman said Carter called her over and over again for weeks but she refused to pick up the phone.
‘Then he finally left me one last nasty, angry message and he never called me again,’ she wrote. ‘It was over, at least I thought it was. I thought I’d never have to see or hear from him ever again. Until, I later signed with his manager, Kenneth Crear. Kenneth Crear was a very powerful manager who I thought could help me make my mark as a recording artist,’ Schuman said.
‘Kenneth set up a showcase for me for a major label. We recorded a few songs, one of them was a duet with my abuser. We never recorded together. He had pre-recorded his part and I went in and recorded mine. ‘Again, what was I supposed to do? I could’t tell my manager that his best friend had raped me so I won’t record this song,’ Schuman wrote.
‘I was broken. I was tired. I was traumatized. I told my therapist. I told my family. I told my friends. I have a plethora of people who can attest that I eventually became open vocal about my experience, I’ve just never had the platform to come out publicly,’ she wrote in the blog post.
According to Schuman, her family urged her to come forward about the alleged incident after the news broke about the multiple sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein. At first, she said ‘no’ until she saw a RadarOnline article last month claiming that Carter was accused of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old fan during a booze-fueled house party in 2006.
‘I feel I have an obligation now to come forward with the hope and intention to inspire and encourage other victims to tell their story. ‘We are stronger in numbers. If you are reading this and you have been assaulted, know you don’t have to be silent and you are not alone. I know it’s scary. I’m scared.
‘I believe you. I stand with you and together I hope we can bring light to things that have been lost in the darkness for so long,’ Schuman wrote, concluding with #MeToo.
