A woman identified only as Nicole alleged that Michael Tate, the former lead singer of the Christian band News Boys, drugged her and that she was later raped by a lighting technician. In December 2014, during a pre-Christmas tour while she was working for Pulse Midwest, she claimed Tate slipped something into her tequila after a nighttime gathering. Nicole accused Matthew Brewer, the band’s lighting technician, of attacking her in a hotel room in Fargo, North Dakota. Other individuals implicated in the allegations included Tate, Brewer, Guitar Tech Jack Campbell, tour manager Steve Campbell, and lighting apprentice Zech Germenis.
Involvement of News Boys Crew and Investigation Outcome
After reporting the incident to the authorities, Nicole was told there was insufficient evidence for a formal investigation, which eventually went nowhere.
In a video acquired by TRR, Nicole appears disoriented and stumbles after exiting an elevator with Brewer. She claims that she was drugged before they met at the hotel bar. Additionally, a second video shows Brewer talking to Tate just before entering his hotel room, where suspicious activity seems to occur.
Concerns From Friends
“The next thing I remember is being on the bathroom floor. I felt completely weighed down, like a thousand pounds were on me,” Nicole recounted of her time in Brewer’s room. She mentions vague memories of distressing events and “…I guess oral sex or attempts, but I don’t remember completely.”
Tate briefly left the room and returned, only to leave quickly again alongside another crew member, Jack Campbell. Footage later shows Nicole’s friends, musicians Jesse Jones and Elizabeth Chan, searching for her, growing increasingly worried when she didn’t return to her hotel room.
“We were concerned since it was unlike her not to come back,” Jones shared with TRR. “She rarely drinks, and that night was totally out of character for her.”
In the early hours, a conversation between Germenis and Brewer unfolded, which raised more questions. Brewer claimed to be with John Burch, another person who had been drinking with Nicole, but when he spoke to Campbell, he hinted at having seen something troubling in Brewer’s room.
“He mentioned seeing Tate watching something inappropriate happening,” Germenis recalled, expressing a mix of disbelief and confusion about the situation.
Another video captures Nicole returning to her hotel room, appearing unsteady and eventually being discovered on the floor by her friends, seemingly disoriented. Nicole later expressed uncertainty about entering Brewer’s room, noting that she thought she shouldn’t have gone in.
She suggested that date-rape drugs might have been involved, given the effects she experienced. Despite her claims, Brewer denied the allegations, asserting that their encounter was consensual.
Recent Developments Regarding Tate
In a recent confession, Tate admitted to having abused a young man years ago, stating that he sought medical treatment after these revelations came to light. This confession followed an article from TRR where several men came forward with allegations against Tate, dating back to when they were 22 years old.
A survey indicated that three more men claimed Tate assaulted them in the early 2000s, and additional reports detailed other misconduct.
Related Article: Michael Tate faces new serious allegations as the investigation continues
