Update on Michael Tait and Newsboys Allegations
Adam Era, recently named the lead singer of Newsboys, spoke out regarding Michael Tait, the band’s former frontman and a member of DC Talk, who has denied serious allegations of drug use, grooming, and sexual assault. Era, who previously led the band’s promotional efforts, shared insights about the situation.
“We’ll be making a formal statement soon—probably today—but I wanted to reach out to you first,” Era mentioned.
He continued, saying, “We’ve heard rumors for years, and whenever something surfaced, we tried to get to the bottom of it, but no one would say anything. When we brought it up with Tait, he would strongly deny the claims. There was a meeting called in early January, but it seemed like no one was aware of what it truly entailed. Then the next day, we found ourselves changing from a five-piece band to a four-piece.”
Era also noted that Tait, now 59, had always expressed a desire to continue performing until he was 70.
Last week, a report detailed claims against Tait, stating he allegedly groomed and assaulted at least three young men in separate incidents dating back to 2004 and 2014. Each individual was around 22 at the time, and accusations included Tait providing alcohol and cocaine during those encounters.
In response to the allegations, Newsboys issued a statement expressing zero tolerance toward sexual assault.
“As husbands and fathers, we are heartbroken and angry about this situation,” wrote members Jeff Frankenstein, Jodie Davis, and Duncan Phillips. “We feel misled in many ways over the past fifteen years.”
They further shared that when Tait left the band in January, he admitted to living a “double life,” though they hadn’t anticipated the severity of the issue.
In a prior interview, Era explained that Tait’s departure was presented as Tait needing to focus on himself, though there was no further discussion at the time.
“I know he’s gone. He gave a few reasons for stepping down, but it was vague. He just needed to focus on himself. We understood, but it left us in the dark,” Era remarked, hoping for clarity but acknowledging it was ultimately Tait’s choice to communicate more.
On Monday, the Christian radio network K-Love announced it would pause the airplay of Newsboys and DC Talk music in light of the allegations against Tait.
A K-Love spokesperson commented, “We are aware of the allegations against Michael Tate. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved, and we are halting Newsboys and DC Talk from our rotation during the ongoing investigation.”
Related Articles: Newsboys express being “terrified, saddened, and angry” regarding the situation with Michael Tait.
