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One of Christian music's biggest bands is now taking a small Canadian concert promoter to court, suing for millions of dollars.
The Newsboys were preparing for a world tour when lead singer Michael Tait suddenly stepped away from the band in January 2025. The Canadian portion of the tour was cancelled in the spring. According to Faith LIVE, the promoter, Tait's departure caused ticket sales to slump, and "The handling of the transition lacked clarity and transparency, leaving both our team and the public in a difficult position."
Now, the Newsboys have filed a $5.4 million defamation lawsuit against the Alberta-based tour promoters, Faith LIVE.
Faith LIVE shared on social media this week that, "We never imagined we’d be here. Faith Live, a small Canadian faith-based concert promoter, is now being sued by one of the biggest names in Christian music - Why? Because we refused to stay silent when we saw unethical behaviour, broken promises, and a lack of transparency that hurt fans, churches, sponsors, and ministries. We chose integrity over intimidation."
Faith LIVE says they are different than other promoters as they are a "small, family-run ministry, with a heart for bringing people to Jesus through music. But we will not be bullied into silence — not by anyone, no matter how famous their name is."
Band claims to have been 'seriously injured' by promoter's claims
The Roys Report says that the Newsboys' claim in the lawsuit filings to have “been seriously injured” due to defamation by Faith Live owners Sheena and Nick Hennink. “The Newsboys have been lowered in the estimation of right-thinking members of society,” the lawsuit says.
Newsboys are owned by their manager, Wes Campbell, and the band members are salaried staff. The band operates under Newsboys Inc. and Newsboys Touring LLC.
“The Newsboys have been seriously injured in their credibility, character, and reputation, especially in relation to their standing in the Christian rock scene, and they have suffered damages – both reputational and special damages related to loss of opportunities,” it said.
TRR reports that "The lawsuit blames Faith Live for the loss of multiple tour dates in Wisconsin, New York, and Indiana, as well as a performance at Glow Festival in Finland scheduled for later this month. It also blames Faith Live for paused or lost placement on Christian radio stations, and the collapse of a developing children’s show." The suit was filed on June 17.
Newsboys have found themselves in troubled water since serious allegations of sexual assault emerged against Tait in June.
Newsboys claim they were unaware of Tait's behaviour
The band broke their silence on the allegations and expressed devastation, anger, and support for the alleged victims after Tait confessed he had been living a "double life."
The lawsuit claims that band members had no idea about the alleged actions of Tait.
According to TRR, the band says in the lawsuit that "The reality is that the Newsboys never knew or had any reason to suspect that Tait was abusing drugs or engaging in any form of sexual assault or grooming behavior. The continued publication of any Defamatory Content and the Subsequent Posts that could be (and, in fact, were) interpreted as suggesting otherwise – especially after the release of the Exclusive Article (released by The Roys Report on June 4) – has significantly exacerbated the harm and damage suffered by the Newsboys."
Following a two-and-a-half-year investigation, Jessica Morris, the Australian journalist behind the investigation, published a lengthy report which contains allegations from multiple men who claim Tait sexually assaulted them, and often provided them with alcohol and drugged them.
The Roys Report also published an investigative story from 2014, containing interviews with a woman who is also making allegations against Tait and hotel security footage.
The woman, who toured in another band with the Newsboys in a 2014 pre-Christmas tour, claimed that Tait drugged her and then watched while she was sexually assaulted by the band’s lighting technician.
Several artists have spoken out regarding the allegations, including Mike Donehey from Tenth Avenue North and Michael Cochren of Cochren & Co.