Hayley Williams, the lead singer of Paramore, has spoken out against the Christian rock singer Michael Tait, demanding a reckoning within the Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) industry. This comes after a detailed investigation accusing Tait, a co-founder of DC Talk and former member of Newsboys, of a long-standing pattern of grooming and sexual assault.
The initial report, based on interviews with over 50 sources, revealed accusations from three victims. This was followed by a separate investigation by The Guardian, which prompted Williams' passionate response. Williams, who grew up in the Christian music world, shared her feelings on her Instagram Story, criticizing the industry for allegedly enabling Tait's behavior.
"No one but the TikToker who broke this story has said a word about Michael Tait needing gay affirming support," Williams wrote, preserving her original lowercase style. She continued, "This is a man [whose] 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."
Williams concluded her statement by addressing those who may have known about Tait's alleged behavior: "Fuck all of you who knew and didn't do a damn thing. I bet I've got your number. And by the way, if you're not angry too, then maybe it's time to question why."
The Guardian's piece, based on interviews with 25 people in the Christian music industry, revealed that most of them had prior knowledge of allegations against Tait.
Earlier this week, Tait shared a statement on Instagram addressing the allegations. He admitted to cocaine and alcohol abuse, as well as "touch[ing] men in an unwanted sensual way." While he disputed certain details, he did not dispute the substance of the accusations against him.
If you or someone you know has been impacted by sexual misconduct, you can reach out for support:
RAINN Hotline
1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
http://www.rainn.org
Crisis Text Line
SMS: Text “HERE” to 741-741
http://www.facebook.com/crisistextline (chat support)