‘It destroyed me’: two more men accuse Christian rock star Michael Tait of sexual assault | Pop and rock

Two extra males have come ahead to accuse Christian rock famous person and Maga firebrand Michael Tait of drugging and sexually assaulting them – together with Jason Jones, the founding supervisor of the American hard-rock band Evanescence.

Jones stated he was fired from the band – which had ties to Tait – for talking out about his alleged assault. Jones stated the firing, which he claimed occurred in 1999, lower him out of Evanescence’s huge success starting in 2003.

“It destroyed me,” stated Jones. “I used to be attaining my goals at an early age, and Tait modified all that.”

Evanescence co-founder Ben Moody denied Jones was fired from the band for talking out towards Tait.

Moody stated he does recall Jones telling him a few sexual encounter with Tait, however on the time Moody interpreted it as consensual.

“I used to be a child, solely 18, and clearly didn’t understand what he was going by way of,” Moody stated. “I’m certain I missed numerous issues I’d acknowledge right now. I didn’t understand he was traumatized.”

In all, eight alleged victims have now come ahead publicly with sexual assault allegations towards Tait. A earlier investigation by the Guardian reported allegations of sexual assault by Tait towards three younger males whereas one other from the Christian information outlet the Roys Report reported allegations by three different males.

Tait turned well-known because the frontman for DC Speak and Newsboys, two Christian mega-bands identified for packaging conservative rhetoric about sexual abstinence, sobriety, Christian nationalism and the approaching rapture in catchy rock songs. Tait has been a supporter of Donald Trump and served as a key bridge between Trump and evangelical voters.

Tait has not responded to questions from the Guardian concerning the allegations towards him. However in an Instagram post in June, Tait confessed to a decades-long habit to cocaine and alcohol and admitted that he had “at occasions, touched males in an undesirable, sensual manner”.

Within the put up, Tait added that he had lately “spent six weeks at a therapy heart in Utah”.

Jones was described by mates who knew him within the Nineteen Nineties as a happy-go-lucky Christian teenager, bursting with ambition and creativity. Rising up in Arkansas, Jones remembers, considered one of his greatest goals was “to satisfy DC Speak”.

Jones achieved that dream in 1994 after transferring to Nashville to handle the band of his good friend, Randall Crawford, who was additionally mates with Tait and launched the 2.

Jones recalled going to McDonalds with the DC Speak frontman and being mobbed by so many teenage followers they needed to go away earlier than getting their meals. “That sort of factor occurred loads,” he stated.

Jones was thrilled to be welcomed into Tait’s inside circle, but he was greatly surprised by what he described as Tait’s proclivity for randomly grabbing different males’s genitals. He stated he finally discovered that Tait was dwelling a double-life as a closeted homosexual man, which was changing into an issue for a band mentored by Ethical Majority co-founder Jerry Falwell, who known as Aids “God’s punishment for homosexuality”.

Whereas stunned, Jones held no damaging emotions towards Tait’s sexuality, even taking him to homosexual golf equipment in Little Rock (at Tait’s request) when DC Speak carried out there.

Jones was commonly touring forwards and backwards from Nashville to Little Rock, and in 1995 he met aspiring musician Moody – the 2 of them hitting it off and collaborating on a undertaking that may come to be named Evanescence.

After co-producing the primary Evanescence demo, Jones returned to Nashville and commenced speaking up the band to his good friend, Tait.

Jones, as an evangelical, was sober and a virgin on the time. However he recollects getting caught up in a whirlwind of partying with Tait in 1995, chain-smoking cigarettes and marijuana and shutting down bars, then returning to Tait’s home to proceed ingesting. Jones stated he was uncomfortable with all of it, however was looking forward to Tait’s approval so he complied.

“I had this band that I used to be making an attempt to take locations,” Jones recalled. “And [Tait] had the ability to open doorways for us within the trade. So I went together with no matter, however didn’t know what it might price me.”

Jones’ used his reference to Tait to assist Evanescence get a foot within the door in Nashville, talking with A&R folks, report labels, venue homeowners, producers and musicians.

Sources that want to stay nameless alleged that Tait had a rotation of engaging younger males at his Nashville residence at the moment, a few of them underage, and that Tait had a “no garments allowed” rule in his sizzling tub. “He would put his penis towards one of many jets, and inform us to do the identical, saying ‘see, it feels good!’” recalled a supply who visited Tait commonly at the moment, and desires to stay nameless.

“He was all concerning the shock issue,” recalled Crawford, who was shut with Jones and Tait all through the 90s. “He was all the time saying ‘let’s make out in entrance of those folks!’ And I used to be like ‘no, you’re gonna destroy your profession.’ However he felt untouchable. And in some methods, he was.”

Round this identical time, Crawford recollects Tait driving him by way of the campus of Liberty College – Falwell’s Christian faculty the place DC Speak fashioned – rushing at 60mph and getting pulled over by campus safety, who turned from anger to laughter when seeing Tait behind the wheel, even asking for photos and autographs.

“After they left, Michael turned to me, calm as ever, and stated: ‘I can do something and never get in bother.’”

Jones recollects ingesting at Tait’s home one night time in late 1998, simply after DC Speak completed rehearsals for his or her Supernatural album tour. Jones remembers feeling drained out of the blue, and Tait really useful he fall asleep in his bed room. “I felt honored that he felt that near me, that he trusted me sufficient to let me sleep in his mattress,” Jones stated.

A while later, Jones recollects waking up, his pants lacking, and Tait was giving him oral intercourse. “I stated no and pushed him off, however then, in some way, I handed out once more. I woke again up and he was nonetheless doing it. I stated no once more, then nodded out. After which I awakened a 3rd time, aggressively shouted ‘no!’ and pushed him tougher. It was then that he left me alone.”

Trying again, Jones stated, “I consider that Michael Tait drugged me.”

Two alleged victims from the Guardian’s earlier report additionally say they consider they have been drugged by Tait earlier than their alleged assaults. As well as, a feminine accuser cited by the Roys Report stated she believed that Tait provided Rohypnol or another sedative to a crew member on a Newsboys tour, who then drugged and raped her whereas Tait watched.

Distraught and in want of consolation, Jones flew residence to Little Rock the day after he stated he was assaulted. There he confided in a good friend and mentor – who needs to stay nameless – that he had had “a nasty expertise with Tait,” however wouldn’t go into particulars. “He wasn’t the identical after that,” Jones’s good friend recalled.

Jones stated that in early 1999 he had additionally confided in his good friend and Evanescence co-founder, Ben Moody, about being sexually assaulted by Tait. “Ben was solely 18 on the time, new to the music trade, and I needed to warn him,” Jones recalled. “[Tait] was flying Ben out to Nashville to put in writing songs collectively, to see if he slot in Tait’s inner-circle.”

Moody remembers issues in a different way.

“He didn’t body it as ‘sexual assault,’” Moody stated. “He described it as like frat-boy joking round whereas they have been drunk, with [Tait] saying ‘what’s the massive deal? A dick’s only a muscle.’ And Jason stated ‘the subsequent factor I do know he’s sucking my dick.’”

Jones stated he stays assured that he advised Moody the complete particulars of the assault, together with that he verbally and bodily resisted Tait 3 times as his consciousness got here and went.

Moody stated he quickly seen a change in Jones’s demeanor. Jones, a passionate, fun-loving man who was straightforward to get together with, started struggling manic swings from melancholy to rage to paranoia after which to dissociation. “After a late night time studio he couldn’t get the automobile shifter into gear and he simply began screaming, hurling his physique round, jerking the shifter violently like he was going to interrupt it off.”

Moody stated he and the band started questioning if they need to proceed working with Jones. Looking back, Moody stated: “I didn’t know what he was going by way of. Trying again I’d’ve been a bit extra attentive, however I used to be the standard 18 yr previous who needed to be a rockstar.”

Moody stated that in a telephone name with Tait, he talked about that Jones had advised him a few sexual encounter between them, which Tait then denied. “I needed to get forward of [Jason] speaking shit about us and ruining the entire thing. Again then there have been rumors Michael Tait [was gay] and at that time, proper after [DC Talk’s Grammy-winning album] Jesus Freak, he was the most important factor in Christian music historical past, and the scandal would’ve been an enormous deal.”

Jones and Moody differ on whether or not he was fired or stop, however each recall the incident with Tait – nonetheless it was characterised – because the turning level of the connection.

“I hid away after that,” Jones recollects. “I began snorting meth, then smoking it.”

His isolation and drug binge would proceed for 5 years.

Moody stated he regrets how issues went down with Jones again then. “He was my greatest good friend for therefore a few years, and now I ask myself ‘how fucking blind may I’ve been?’”

Evanescence went on to be one of many greatest bands on the earth, successful “Finest New Artist” and “Finest Onerous Rock Efficiency” on the Grammys in 2003 and finally promoting tens of tens of millions of albums.

The next yr, Moody and Tait would go on to be roommates and musical collaborators, with Tait singing on Moody’s solo album, and Moody producing Tait’s solo album, Loveology. In 2003, Moody left Evanescence to pursue his solo profession.

Evanescence co-founder Amy Lee and different representatives of the band couldn’t be reached for remark.

Like Moody, Crawford remembers his good friend Jones as a “a cheerful man, an actual sweetheart, however all that modified after 1998. I may inform one thing had occurred. He didn’t inform me about it on the time, however he has since. And I consider him, as a result of the identical factor occurred to me.”

Crawford first met DC Speak when the band was filming the music video for its first single, Heavenbound, in 1989. Crawford was working in a movie show in the identical Nashville mall the band was filming in. He cherished their debut cassette and once they got here by to catch a film he launched himself and gave them a reduction.

Crawford remembers his good friend Jason Jones getting squeezed out of the administration place of Evanescence in early 1999, and that “it had one thing to do with Tait”, however was unaware of specifics on the time.

Again then, Crawford was an formidable musician, and was being employed to put in writing songs for solo tasks for Tait and DC Speak’s Toby Mac (the band went on “hiatus” in 2000, and by no means formally reunited). Mac’s undertaking was later nominated for a Grammy and Dove Award. Crawford had additionally simply signed his personal report deal for his band, Webster County.

Crawford recollects being distraught over a breakup one night time within the fall 2000, and Tait inviting him over to hang around. “You’ll bounce again,” he recollects Tait saying, as he handed him a shot glass of Makers Mark whiskey.

“I advised him ‘only one,’ and took the shot,” he recalled. “I had a fairly excessive tolerance for alcohol on the time, however I blacked out shortly after I took that one drink.”

Crawford stated his reminiscence picks up a while later, discovering himself propped up on Tait’s kitchen counter, his pants round his ankles. “My legs have been up within the air, and Tait was licking my anus,” he claimed. “I stated ‘what are you doing, dude?’ after which he stated the weirdest factor: ‘Hey man, did you catch the Colts recreation final week?’ Like we have been simply hanging out, chatting.”

Crawford stated that he fled Tait’s home, however has no reminiscence of driving residence. He stated he’s satisfied that Tait drugged him.

Two shut mates of Crawford’s have corroborated his story. One in all them confirmed that Crawford advised him particulars of the alleged assault on the time, however solely named the perpetrator two years in the past. The opposite good friend stated he was advised the entire story on the time.

“I used to be by no means the identical after that,” Crawford stated. “The enjoyment and drive I had for music went away. Abruptly I had stage fright for the primary time, brain-fog, anger points, melancholy, and was even suicidal for a time. It ruined my profession.”

Regardless of having completed recording the album for his band, Crawford felt unable to carry out as a musician, and the report was by no means launched.

Each Jones and Crawford recall pondering their assaults have been remoted incidents and continued to have some involvement with Tait. Jones accepted a telephone name from him when Tait’s father handed away and he was distraught, and Crawford says he was “love bombed” by Tait and succumbed to future advances.

After not talking for years, Tait re-entered his life in 2020. Crawford’s spouse was a musician herself, and Tait had provided to provide her album.

“I had buried the reminiscence of that night time for a very long time,” Crawford stated. After seeing Tait once more, Crawford stated, numerous emotions got here to the floor and he discovered himself weeping uncontrollably within the bathe. After confessing to his spouse what had occurred, she inspired him to enroll in EMDR trauma remedy, which he stated had been useful.

“Listening to Jason’s story lately broke my coronary heart,” he stated of reuniting along with his good friend, Jones, a long time later. “I consider we’d each be within the music trade right now if it weren’t for Michael Tait.”

Jones has been sober since 2008. After leaving the music trade he labored in banking and co-directed a sober dwelling facility. Right this moment he travels across the nation sharing his story of abuse and habit (not mentioning Tait’s title when recounting the expertise).

Shortly after getting sober Jones contacted a regulation agency to ask about potential compensation he could possibly be owed from Evanescence. Based on his 2008 correspondence with the regulation agency that he shared with the Guardian, the agency advised him that, due to the statute of limitations, his window for a go well with towards Evanescence had closed years earlier. Jones stated the legal professionals advised him that, had he pursued the matter sooner, he could possibly be entitled to as much as tens of tens of millions of {dollars} in compensation.

Moody disputed the notion that Jones has ever had the suitable to compensation for his administration efforts within the early days of Evanescence.

Trying again 27 years later, Jones recalled the night time he advised Moody about what had occurred to him. Warning him not solely about Tait, however concerning the music trade basically, he recited a quote from the journal journalist Hunter S Thompson, who stated: “The music enterprise is a merciless and shallow cash trench, a protracted plastic hallway the place thieves and pimps run free.”

“And that’s true for the Christian music trade as nicely,” Jones stated. “Much more so, in my case.”