Two more men have come forward to accuse Christian rock superstar and Maga firebrand Michael Tait of drugging and sexually assaulting them – including Jason Jones, the founding manager of the American hard-rock band Evanescence.
Jones said he was fired from the band – which had ties to Tait – for speaking out about his alleged assault. Jones said the firing, which he claimed happened in 1999, cut him out of Evanescence’s massive success beginning in 2003.
“It destroyed me,” said Jones. “I was achieving my dreams at an early age, and Tait changed all that.”
Evanescence co-founder Ben Moody denied Jones was fired from the band for speaking out against Tait.
Moody said he does recall Jones telling him about a sexual encounter with Tait, but at the time Moody interpreted it as consensual.
“I was a kid, only 18, and clearly didn’t realize what he was going through,” Moody said. “I’m sure I missed a lot of things I’d recognize today. I didn’t realize he was traumatized.”