Bear Rinehart, lead singer of the band NEEDTOBREATHE, has said that he and his younger brother, Bo Rinehart, were both sexually abused by a counselor at a Christian camp during their childhood. His statement follows a series of public allegations made by Bo, including claims that Bear also abused him.
“I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse,” Bo, 43, wrote in a social media post, adding that he had been abused by a camp counselor, by his youth pastor and “sexually, physically and emotionally abused by my brother.”
He continued, “Even when my faith has been crushed, I know that God still has provisions for me.”
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Bo also posted an Instagram Story featuring a photo of Bear with the words “Sexual Abuser” written across his chest, according to Church Leaders.
The post appeared days after Bo publicly identified himself as an alcoholic and a believer who, in his words, had survived abuse “so hard for anyone to tell.”
The accusations drew a response from Bear, 44, who denied abusing his brother and said he felt compelled to speak out to protect his family.
Bear said that he and Bo were sexually abused at the ages of 8 and 6 by a teenage counselor at a Christian camp.
“Neither of us received support for these events until well into adulthood,” Bear wrote on Instagram, adding that they navigated their childhoods “with deep pain and confusion.”
Bear described his brother’s accusations as “deeply hurtful and misleading.”
He said the two had attended a two-day counseling session five years earlier, during which Bo expressed having been hurt by incidents in their early teen years. Bear said he took “full responsibility for any part I played in that pain” and believed the session ended with mutual understanding. “To now label me an abuser in such a heartless way is not only deeply painful, but is also wildly misleading and feels intentionally harmful,” he wrote.
Bear said he had not previously spoken about the childhood abuse to protect his own family.
“I have three young boys, and I wanted them to hear about my story from me directly, when the time is right and not through social media or online speculation,” he wrote. He added that Bo’s public comments had made continued privacy “impossible.”
He said he still hopes for reconciliation. “Even after all of this, I am still hopeful for a reconciliation some day with my brother that I know only God can provide,” he wrote.
The brothers co-founded NEEDTOBREATHE in 1998 and gained a following for their blend of rock and Christian themes. The band toured with Taylor Swift in 2011 during her “Speak Now World Tour” and has released 10 albums. They have won 15 Dove Awards and received a Grammy nomination in 2015.
Though the band never formally identified as a Christian group, its lyrics and performances frequently touched on spiritual themes.
The brothers are sons of a pastor, and both have often spoken publicly about their faith.
In 2020, Bo departed from the band. At the time, the group released a statement saying, “Our brother Bo has decided to step away from NEEDTOBREATHE. Bo’s visual and musical artistry has always stood out for being brave, accomplished, and well respected by anyone who has been fortunate enough to experience it,” according to Church Leaders.
After leaving NEEDTOBREATHE, Bo began releasing music under the name Coy Roy. He was replaced in the band by Tyler Burkum, formerly of Audio Adrenaline.
