Israel tour
Entertainment

Michael Tait Sex Abuse, Drug Scandal: What We Know

Newsboys singer confesses to allegations

Michael Tait, a beloved Christian musician and singer known for his roles in Newsboys and DC Talk, has admitted to decades-long sexual abuse of men and a not-so-secret drug habit.

The Roys Report (TRR), a Christian investigative media outlet operated by respected journalist Julie Roys, conducted a two-and-a-half-year investigation, interviewing “more than 50 sources.” It documents in detail that Tate “had groomed and sexually assaulted numerous victims.”

Tate’s career has been described as “nothing short of spectacular,” with DC Talk winning “four Grammys before their hiatus in 2001.” Their album Jesus Freak “spent 79 weeks on the Billboard 200 list and sold more than three million copies,” making Tait “nothing less than the Beatles of Christian music,” according to Will Stockton and D. Gilson in their book Jesus Freak.

After DC Talk’s hiatus, Tait, now 59, joined Newsboys in 2009, a band that “found success after moving to Nashville in 1991, releasing 14 studio albums and receiving four Grammy nominations before [original lead singer Peter] Furler stepped down in 2009.” During Tait’s time, the Newsboys “scored four number-one albums on the Billboard Christian charts.”


2. What are the Allegations?

Sexual Assault:
Three men spoke to TRR, all alleging that Tait befriended them on Christian music tours in 2004, 2010, and 2014. They were “all 22 years old at the time.”

  • “Two men stated that they were drinking alcohol with Tait and later woke to him fondling their genitals.”
  • “One alleged Tait also offered him cocaine while on the Newsboys tour bus.”
  • A third told TRR that Tait “gave him a back massage while skinny dipping and later invited him to share his king-size bed. There, Tait allegedly non-consensually massaged his anal region.”

Substance Abuse:
TRR “corroborated allegations of Tait’s alcohol and substance abuse with multiple sources.” One victim “alleged Tait also offered him cocaine while on the Newsboys tour bus.”

Pattern of Grooming:
The report describes Tait’s pattern of “befriending younger men, plying them with alcohol, and making unwanted sexual advances.” Chris Sligh, a former bandmate of one victim, said, “It was just love bombing, Tait was pouring it on to Steven in really interesting and kind of gross ways, looking back.”


3. Tait’s Confession

On Instagram, Tait posted “My confession.” He wrote, “Recent reports of my reckless and destructive behavior, including drug and alcohol abuse and sexual activity are sadly, largely true. For some two decades I used and abused cocaine, consumed far too much alcohol, and, at times, touched men in an unwanted sensual way.”

He continued, “I am ashamed of my life choices and actions, and make no excuses for them. I will simply call it what God calls it—sin.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Michael Tait (@michaeltait)

Tait also stated that he left Newsboys in January “to get help.”


4. Newsboys’ Response

Newsboys posted their own statement on social media on June 5:
“Our hearts were shattered when we read the allegations. First and foremost, our hearts are with the victims who have bravely shared their stories. If you are a victim, we urge you to come forward. We absolutely do not condone any form of sexual assault.”

They added, “When he left the band in January, Michael confessed to us and our management that he ‘had been living a double-life’ but we never imagined that it could be this bad.”


5. The Broader Context

The Tate scandal threatens to shine a light many in the Christian music industry are unwilling to explore. Namely, how fame and fortune protect the guilty in a tight-knit community.

“It’s been called Nashville’s worst-kept secret.” For decades, “allegations have circulated that Newsboys frontman Michael Tait… had groomed and sexually assaulted numerous victims,” TRR writes.

The Christian music industry is described as a place where “Tait and his network’s influence and ability to blackball people from the industry have squelched [rumors], sources say.” One victim, “Steven,” explained, “(Tait was) basically the top of the food chain. He could either (help me) get jobs, or he could not get (me) jobs. I didn’t want to screw myself.”

One strange incident involved sexually suggestive foot massages of other men, even in the band’s presence. Even after the incidents, “the story of Tait’s foot massage and fondling became an inside joke with the band, causing Steven to turn inwards.” It was only years later that his bandmates realized “how negatively the incident impacted Steven.”


6. Victims’ Experiences

The victims detailed both their initial awe at meeting Tait (one described him as “my idol”) and the confusion, shame, and career fear that followed the alleged abuse.
Steven said he “went into ‘freeze response’ and… didn’t know what to do,” trying to pull away but unable to stop Tait’s actions. He told his girlfriend but not industry colleagues, “I very much did not want to be excommunicated (from Christian music).”

Another victim, “Phillip,” described Tait giving him a massage while skinny dipping and then, while sharing a bed, “Tait put his fingers in his anal region, and Phillip spoke up: ‘Hey, man, I’m not into that. That’s not cool with me.’” Tait “stopped, apologized, and turned over.”

Phillip said, “At the time, I thought Tait’s behavior was an anomaly. . . . But the more time I spent in Nashville circles, the more it sounded like a pattern and that I might’ve actually gotten off easy in my awkward encounter.”

Victims described not coming forward out of fear for their jobs or not wanting to “out” Tait. Phillip’s wife said, “It’s always kind of been like, okay, obviously, (Tait’s) gay. He’s a huge name in CCM. I’m sure he feels like he can’t come out of the closet or he’s going to lose everything that he has. So, we just kind of felt bad for him, in the sense of, you know, that sucks to not be able to be yourself.”


7. Current Status

After the TRR report and other public discussion, Tait “has been out of the public spotlight since his exit and has not posted on social media since his statement.”

Newsboys re-recorded their single with a new lead singer and dealt with “chaos” as fans expressed confusion and asked for ticket refunds. “The announcement [of Tait’s departure] came after the release of the Tait-helmed new single, ‘How Many Times,’ and two days before their first show of the year at Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Band member Adam Agee told Fox58 the band was ‘scrambling’ to re-record the single, and a new version… was released soon after.”

Music stations, including K-LVOE, have pulled Newsboys and DC Talk music from their playlists.

“We are aware of the allegations against Michael Tait, former frontman of the Newsboys,” a K-LOVE spokeswoman told TRR in an email. “As the investigation proceeds, our prayers are with all those involved. In the meantime, our Programming Team is resting Newsboys and DC Talk music on our stream.”


–Metro Voice

Tait Lead Photo: Kamil Ekonomiuk Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0

Related Articles

Back to top button