Who is Jason Jones? All about founding manager of rock band Evanescence as he claims Michael Tait sexually assaulted him 

Jason Jones, the founding manager of the band Evanescence, has claimed that Michael Tait, a famous Christian music star, sexually assaulted him in the late 1990s. According to BBC, Jones says he was fired from the band for speaking out, and they cut him off from the band’s success in the early 2000s. Jason said,

"It destroyed me. I was achieving my dreams at an early age, and Tait changed all that."

He said he told Ben Moody, who co‑founded Evanescence, about it in 1999. Moody says that at the time, he thought it was consensual and did not see trauma.

In total, eight men now say Tait hurt them. Three told The Guardian, another three were in The Roys Report, and two more include Jason and his friend, Randall Crawford. Michael Tait is known as the frontman of DC Talk and Newsboys. He stepped down in January 2025. As per the reports by The Guardian, in June, he posted on Instagram, admitting long-term drug and alcohol use, and said he

"at times, touched men in an unwanted, sensual way."

Allegations and impact on Jason Jones

Jason Jones says the events happened in 1998. The reports by The Guardian state that he woke up to unwanted sexual contact after falling asleep in Tait’s house. He says he pushed Michael Tait away three times. He says he believes Tait drugged him. He says his job was taken away shortly after, and he missed all of Evanescence’s later success.

Ben Moody, who co-founded Evanescence, denies that Jones was fired for speaking up. He says he remembers hearing Jason say something happened, but he thought it was a joke or consensual. He says he was only 18 back then and did not understand the harm. Moody says that now he regrets not seeing the signs and not helping Jason more. He said,

"He didn’t frame it as 'sexual assault.' He described it as like frat-boy joking around while they were drunk, with [Tait] saying ‘what’s the big deal?'"

The reports by The Guardian further state that Jason Jones's friend, Randall Crawford, also came forward. He says a similar event happened in 2000. He also believes drugs were involved and said that both their careers were hurt, and they were deeply affected emotionally.

These personal losses came before Evanescence became big. The band won Grammy Awards and sold millions of albums starting in 2003. Jason Jones says he was shut out from that wave of success because he spoke out too soon.

Larger accusations and response

Michael Tait now faces eight public accusations of sexual wrongdoing, including those from Jason Jones and Randall Crawford. Some of the accusers say they were drugged or given alcohol or drugs before being attacked.

As per the reports by People, Newsboys issued a statement saying they were heartbroken and angry. They say they had heard rumors but never realized how serious things were. They expressed support for victims and asked others to come forward. They also said they do not condone assault. Major Christian media networks like K‑Love have pulled the airplay of Newsboys and DC Talk music. Their record label also dropped the band. Many fans and industry figures feel betrayed and shocked.

Jason Jones further said,

"I had this band that I was trying to take places. And [Tait] had the power to open doors for us in the industry. So I went along with whatever, but didn’t know what it would cost me."

Jason Jones today is sober and works helping others. He has shared his story widely about abuse and addiction. He wants people to know what happened and to listen to others who were hurt.

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