Members of the Grammy-nominated Christian band Newsboys publicly addressed the sexual assault allegations against former lead singer Michael Tait during a performance Sunday at the Elevate Music Festival, revealing that their longtime record label, Capitol Christian Music Group, has dropped them in the wake of the scandal.
"We've been dropped from our record label," said Adam Agee, Newsboys' new frontman, during an emotional pre-show statement at Highlands Church in Scottsdale, Arizona. "We've had radio stations pull our music. We've been cancelled by promoters and venues all over the world."
"But not tonight," Agee said to cheers.
The festival, held June 7–9, featured artists such as Colton Dixon, Ben Fuller, Danny Gokey, Mac Powell, Rhett Walker, and others. But before Newsboys' Sunday night set, Agee joined bandmates Jeff Frankenstein, Duncan Phillips and Jody Davis onstage to confront the growing fallout following multiple reports of sexual misconduct involving Tait — including new claims that he watched a woman be raped by a crew member during a 2014 tour stop.
"Our world was rocked by the devastating news about [Tait's] confession and what [his] double life really was," Agee told the audience.
Tait, who abruptly left the band in January, admitted in a June 10 Instagram statement that "recent reports of my reckless and destructive behavior, including drug and alcohol abuse and sexual activity are sadly, largely true." He also confessed to "touching men in an unwanted sensual way" and to abusing cocaine and alcohol for two decades.
The band said Tait told them in January he was struggling with substance abuse and had entered rehab in Utah, but the nature and extent of his misconduct were unknown to them at the time. In a social media post, Tait, who'd led Newsboys for 15 years, said his decision came after "prayerful reflection" and a sense of clarity.
"We were shocked," Agee said. "Because in January, he had mentioned a few things about substance abuse and personal struggles. … But never anything of the magnitude of what we read and what was recorded, and never anything that could have made us ever think that it could possibly be a danger to others."
Holding back tears, Agee said the band and their families have felt blindsided by the revelations.
"He was our family. He was our brother," Agee said. "We've got 14 kids between us, and he was a friend to our families. He would come over to our houses. … It just has been devastating for us."
"Our families have felt like our names [have] just been dragged through the mud because of all this, and it's really, really hurt our kids," he said.
The Elevate crowd responded to Agee's message with applause and vocal support.
Last week, The Roys Report published new testimony from a former Pulse Ministries staff member who alleges she was raped in a Fargo, North Dakota hotel room during the Newsboys' 2014 "The Reason" Christmas tour. She claims Tait handed her a shot of tequila after hours of drinking and that she blacked out. She later woke up in a hotel bathroom with a man on top of her and Tait present in the room.
Video surveillance reviewed by The Roys Report shows former lighting technician Matthew Brewer escorting the woman to his room, followed by Tait. The woman, then 23, and several witnesses say Tait watched the alleged assault and that longtime Newsboys tour manager Steve Campbell helped cover it up.
Brewer has denied the assault, claiming the encounter was consensual. Tait has not commented on the new allegation, and Campbell has denied any cover-up.
A police report was filed by the woman after the incident, but no charges were filed, and the investigation was eventually shelved. The woman later underwent a rape exam and was diagnosed with sexual assault.
On June 5, Newsboys released a public statement expressing sorrow over the allegations and support for the victims.
"Our hearts were shattered when we read the news alleging drug abuse and inappropriate sexual actions by our former lead singer, Michael Tait," the band wrote. "We are devastated even by the implications of such behavior."
They continued: "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."
Agee, who officially joined Newsboys three years ago, told fans at Elevate Festival that they have continued touring and performing since January, praying through their next steps.
"We felt like we still had a ministry and a mission to do," he said. "We have seen the most amazing people and the Spirit do things that have been so encouraging."
Among the multiple reports of misconduct is a claim by a former Newsboys crew member who alleges Tait assaulted him on the band's tour bus in the spring of 2014. The man, who was in his 20s at the time, said the incident occurred after a night of drinking when the bus was quiet and the other members were asleep.
To date, The Roys Report and The Guardian have interviewed more than nine alleged victims. Some were minors when they said the abuse occurred. At least two of them believe they were secretly drugged by Tait.
Christian radio networks like K-LOVE have pulled the band's music from rotation. Capitol Christian Music Group, the band's longtime label, has also removed Newsboys from its artist roster.
"We have rested Newsboys and DC Talk from our separate Decades' streams online as we watch, pray and try to understand the situation better," a K-LOVE representative told The Christian Post in a statement.
"The practice of resting an artist is relatively standard across all music genres. When an artist goes through a trial like this, their music is often rested until the situation becomes clearer out of respect for the artist, the situation, and the listeners. Their music is often placed back into rotation once the situation has been resolved. We do plan to reevaluate when the time is appropriate."
