Following the recent sexual assault accusations against Contemporary Christian Music star Michael Tait, Hayley Williams is speaking out against the genre as a whole for allegedly enabling his behavior for years.
Sharing a screenshot of The Guardian‘s Friday (June 13) investigation into the former Newsboys member’s actions, the Paramore frontwoman wrote in a statement on her Instagram Story, “The amount of things i have to say and the amount of people i know who were likely changed forever by this man and by the industry that empowered/enabled him …”
“I grew up around this,” Williams continued. “I am not afraid of any of these people — most of them have written me off anyway by now. How many stories like this from this VERY small corner of the music industry will we hear before we realize that [capitalizing] on people’s faith and vulnerability is the ‘sin?’”
The pop-rock singer’s post comes about a week after Christian news site The Roys Report published findings from a two-and-a-half-year investigation into Tait, with three men claiming that he groomed and sexually assaulted them between 2004 and 2014. Sources also detailed how Tait had allegedly long abused drugs and alcohol, despite years of encouraging sobriety and abstinence in his music.
Days later, Tait said he was “ashamed” and confirmed that there was truth to the allegations, writing in a response, “For some two decades, I used and abused cocaine, consumed far too much alcohol and, at times, touched men in an unwanted sensual way … I will simply call it what God calls it — sin.”
But on Friday, The Guardian‘s piece — in addition to sharing more details about how Tait allegedly secretly drugged and molested a minor — expanded upon how the CCM industry at large allowed for his behavior to go unchecked, the same thing Williams emphasized in her post.
“This is a man who’s entire faith identity is built upon a faulty structure of self-hatred, to please a system that would rather cover up abhorrent behavior for 20+ years (and make money off of it) rather than accept that being gay is not the problem,” she wrote in her statement. “I hope the ccm industry crumbles.
“And f— all of you who knew and didn’t do a damn thing,” Williams added. “I bet I’ve got your number. and btw if you’re not angry too then maybe its time to question why.”
Tait got his start as part of the group DC Talk, which found groundbreaking success on the charts in the ’90s. He joined Newsboys in 2009, remaining there up until he abruptly stepped down from the band in January.
At the time, remaining bandmates Duncan Phillips, Jeff Frankenstein, Jody Davis and Adam Agee wrote in a joint statement that they were “grateful for the extended season Michael has had with Newsboys” — but following the publication of The Roys Report‘s piece, the four musicians wrote on Instagram, “We are horrified, heartbroken and angry at this report and in many ways, we feel as if we and our families have been deceived for the past fifteen years.”
In his statement, Tait admitted that he’d “deceived my family, friends, fans and even misled my bandmates about aspects of my life” for years before seeking treatment at a center in Utah.
“I was, for the most part, living two distinctly different lives,” he added earlier this week. “I was not the same person onstage Sunday night that I was at home on Monday … By His grace I can say that for the past six months, I have lived a singular life, one of utter brokenness and total dependence on a loving and merciful God.”
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
