Hayley Williams is not holding back.
The Paramore frontwoman has weighed in on the growing scandal surrounding Christian music legend Michael Tait, and her words are setting the internet ablaze. In a fiery and emotional Instagram story, Williams didn’t mince words: “F*ck all of you who knew!” she wrote, calling out the years-long silence surrounding Tait’s alleged abusive behavior — and the system that, she says, enabled it.
Photo Credit: @yelyahwilliam“The amount of things I have to say,” Williams began, “and the amount of people I know who were likely changed forever by this man and by the industry that empowered/enabled him…” She went on to condemn not just Tait, but the silence of those around him, writing, “I hope the CCM industry crumbles.”
RELATED: Paramore’s Haley Williams WENT OFF In Support Of LGBTQ People
Michael Tait, 59, has been a fixture in Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) since the 1990s as a member of DC Talk and later, the frontman of Newsboys. He’s also known for the hit song God’s Not Dead, an anthem popular among Christian conservatives and the MAGA movement. But recent investigations — including a months-long report published by The Guardian — have brought troubling accusations to light.
Remi Wolf brought out Hayley Williams tonight in Nashville! pic.twitter.com/8V8ISqTUUw
— 🏁 (@concertleaks) June 15, 2025
Tait has been accused of sexually assaulting at least three men, two of whom claimed they were drugged by him in the early 2000s. Four additional men have alleged inappropriate touching and sexual advances. These are not anonymous internet rumors — these are on-the-record, deeply disturbing allegations.
Tait responded publicly on June 10 with a lengthy confession posted to Instagram. In it, he admitted that “recent reports of my reckless and destructive behavior, including drug and alcohol abuse and sexual activity are sadly, largely true.” He described his past actions as “sin,” acknowledged he had lived a double life for years, and expressed shame and regret — though he stopped short of directly naming or addressing the specific accusations.
While some in the CCM community have chosen to stay silent or offer vague sentiments about “prayers” and “healing,” Williams is making it clear: that’s not enough.
“No one but the TikToker who broke this story has said a word about Michael Tait needing gay-affirming support,” she wrote. “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 than accept that being gay is not the problem.”
Williams, who was raised in and around the evangelical Christian music world, made it clear that she’s no stranger to the rot she says is embedded in its foundations. “How many stories like this from this VERY small corner of the music industry will we hear before we realize that capitalizing on people’s faith and vulnerability is the real sin?”
Her final shot hit hard:
“If you’re not angry too, then maybe it’s time to ask why.”
As conversations heat up online, one thing is clear — Williams’ message has cracked through the polished veneer of CCM. And she’s demanding more than silence, prayer circles, or carefully curated statements.
She’s demanding accountability.
REFERENCES: The Guardian, The Roys Report