# Melissa Schuman

Melissa Amber Schuman (born August 21, 1984) is an American singer and actress best known for being a member of the American girl group Dream and their platinum hit "He Loves U Not".
Schuman gained some success in acting with appearances in movies, including Love Don't Cost a Thing, The Hollow and Silent Scream. Schuman has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and hosted TRL.

## Career

In 2002, after Schuman announced she was leaving Dream to focus on her acting career and a solo album, she appeared in Love Don't Cost a Thing and The Hollow, and starred in Silent Scream. She recorded a song with The Hollow costar Nick Carter called "There for Me" in 2004.
She had plans to release her first single "Don't" but the single and solo album were scrapped, however on November 16, 2010, the single was released to iTunes.
On November 15, 2010, Schuman's previously unreleased solo album Stereotyped was released to iTunes.

### 2008–2012: Lady Phoenix

On January 28, 2008, Schuman reported that she would be forming a new music group with former Dream bandmate Ashley Poole, and would be auditioning for girls and even starring in a reality show to detail the new group's formation.
In 2012, Schuman confirmed that Lady Phoenix had disbanded following Ashley Poole's departure from the group and the reality show was not picked up by any networks.

### 2015–2016: Dream comeback

On May 11, 2015, the original members of Dream got together for a mini-reunion and posted a video online performing a cappella version of their 2000 single "He Loves U Not" and the video quickly went viral with over 23,000 views and gained online attention from MTV, Seventeen Magazine, and other media sites.
On May 29, 2015, the original members of Dream all announced they were making a comeback and launched Twitter and Facebook pages. The Twitter page gained over 21,000 followers since its launch.
On December 17, 2015, Dream recorded and released a studio recording of "O Holy Night" as a treat to fans for the holidays while they work on new music scheduled for 2016.
On July 8, 2016, Dream joined other Y2K bands O-Town, Ryan Cabrera and 98 Degrees on the My2K Tour performing in 39 cities across the United States. Dream also performed at The MixTape Festival at Hershey Stadium alongside Paula Abdul, New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men, 98 Degrees, O-Town and Ryan Cabrera.
On August 2, 2016, Dream released their first single together in 15 years titled "I Believe" on iTunes and Spotify.
On October 5, 2016, Dream member Ashley Poole announced via Snapchat and Facebook that Dream has once again disbanded and a new album will not be released.

## Sexual assault allegation against Nick Carter

On November 21, 2017, Schuman claimed that she was raped by singer and Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter in 2003, an accusation Carter has denied. The case filed by Schuman was dismissed by the Los Angeles District Attorney in September 2018 because the statute of limitations had passed. Schuman would later file a sexual assault lawsuit against Carter in April 2023. In August 2024, it was revealed that Carter was countersuing Schuman for $2.5 million, with the countersuit being filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on July 26, 2024. Court documents revealed that Schuman's lawsuit cost Carter and the Backstreet Boys endorsement and business deals, and also resulted in Carter himself losing "millions." In May 2024, Schuman was among three female accusers who detailed their sexual assault allegations against Carter in the documentary Fallen Idols. The two-part documentary aired simultaneously on ID and Max for two nights on 27 May and 28 May 2024.

## Personal life

Schuman married dancer Brandon Henschel on June 7, 2006, in San Diego, California.
On February 19, 2010, Schuman announced on Twitter that she and her husband were expecting their first child, a boy. On July 18, 2010, the Henschels announced the boy's birth.
She is an advocate for victims of sexual abuse.
Schuman is a Christian.

## Discography
### Solo

* Stereotyped (2002/2010)

### Dream

* It Was All a Dream (2001)

## Filmography

| 1997 | Tiger | Erica Baker |
| 2002 | Anna's Dream | Sheila |
| 2003 | Love Don't Cost a Thing | Zoe Parks |
| 2003 | Recipe for Disaster | Shannon Devries |
| 2004 | The Hollow | Amber |
| 2004 | Window Theory | Megan |
| 2005 | Silent Scream | Nicole |
| 2015 | Actress(es): A Web Series | Jennifer Stone |
| 2024 | Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter | Herself |