Today in Hollywood Harassment: Nick Carter Denies Rape, Russell Simmons' Accuser Spills on 'Lies,' 'Chicago PD' Investigation

In other news in another day filled with headlines about Hollywood harassment, Nick Carter has denied allegations that he raped former Dream member Melissa Schuman in 2002. Rashida Jones clarified that her departure from "Toy Story 4" had nothing to do with allegations of inappropriate conduct by Pixar co-founder John Lasseter, even as details of a "whisper network" among female staffers at Pixar about him emerged.

Meanwhile, details about a 2016 investigation into "Chicago P.D." star Jason Beghe and the ongoing response on the set, came to light, while Charlie Rose continues to face fallout from his alleged actions and more accusers.

Here's the latest:

Nick Carter has denied allegations that he sexually assaulted Melissa Schuman in 2002, when she was a member of the girl group Dream. Schuman, who was 18 at the time of the alleged incident, claims the Backstreet Boy raped her in a detailed essay published over the weekend. Carter would have been 22 at the time.

"I am shocked and saddened by Ms. Schuman's accusations," Carter said in a statement to People. "Melissa never expressed to me while we were together or at any time since that anything we did was not consensual."

Schuman alleged that Carter ignored her protests that she was a virgin and that she wanted him to stop. "He was relentless, refusing to take my no's for an answer," she wrote.

"This is the first that I am hearing about these accusations, nearly two decades later," Carter wrote. "It is contrary to my nature and everything I hold dear to intentionally cause someone discomfort or harm."

"Chicago P.D." star Jason Beghe was investigated for allegations of "inappropriate behavior" on the set of the hit NBC series in 2016. The allegations came from several members of the cast and crew, with the investigation conducted as a joint effort between the network, Universal Television and Wolf Entertainment.

"As a result of the investigation, we have already taken action, and it is a situation we continue to monitor very closely to ensure all of our employees feel safe and supported," the companies said in a joint statement.

Beghe provided his own statement, where he said, "I am deeply sorry for my behavior ... I have struggled with anger issues for some time, and over the past year, I have been working with a coach to help me learn how to mitigate my temper."

After John Lasseter stepped down for a six-month sabbatical amid allegations of inappropriate conduct with women, Variety reported that there has been a "whisper network" about him for two decades at Pixar, the company he co-founded.

"He likes to hug the pretty girls,” one woman said she was told. “He might try to kiss you on the mouth." None of the women who spoke out were willing to be identified for fear of repercussions due to Lasseter's clout in the animation industry. He has served as Disney's chief creative officer for the past decade.

Lasseter apologized in an internal Pixar memo before stepping away. "I especially want to apologize to anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of an unwanted hug or any other gesture they felt crossed the line in any way, shape, or form," he wrote. "No matter how benign my intent, everyone has the right to set their own boundaries and have them respected."

Despite a Hollywood Reporter story connecting Rashida Jones' and writing partner Will McCormack's departure from "Toy Story 4" to sexual harassment allegations against Lasseter, Jones set the record straight late Tuesday.

"We did not leave Pixar because of unwanted advance," she told E! News in a statement. "We parted ways because of creative and, more importantly philosophical differences."

She went on to state that Pixar has "a culture where women and people of color do not have an equal creative voice," citing the leadership on the company's 20 films thus far, mostly created and directed by white males.

"We encourage Pixar to be the leaders in bolstering, hiring, and promoting more diverse and female storytellers and leaders," she wrote.

Russell Simmons accuser Khalighi claimed on "Megyn Kelly Today" on Wednesday that Simmons apologized to her, despite his public denial of any wrongdoing. "We've had a conversation about what happened where there was no dispute about what we were talking about," she said. "And he actually apologized."

She said that what Simmons said publicly is vastly different from what he's said to her privately. "That's the piece that's been really, really upsetting, disappointing and quite honestly just repugnant with the hypocrisy and the lies and the denial," she told Kelly.

Saying he believed their encounters to be "completely consensual," Simmons said in a statement after the initial allegation, "I'm deeply saddened and truly shocked to learn of Keri's assertions as to what happened over the course of that weekend."

PBS followed CBS' lead on Tuesday by severing ties with Charlie Rose by cancelling distribution of his namesake program after eight women accused him of sexual misconduct. All eight accusers had come from the PBS show.

"PBS expects all the producers we work with to provide a workplace where people feel safe and are treated with dignity and respect," the network said in a statement.

Later that evening, three more women came forward with allegations against Rose, this time from CBS. The story was reported on the "CBS Evening News," with one of the women alleging that Rose "whispered a sexual innuendo while touching her inappropriately at a work-related event."

Rose issued an apology Monday. "I am greatly embarrassed. I have behaved insensitively at times, and I accept responsibility for that, though I do not believe that all of these allegations are accurate," he wrote. "I always felt that I was pursuing shared feelings, even though I now realize I was mistaken."