Ex-CCM singer Stacie Orrico sues former manager for alleged sexual assault, exploitation
Quick Summary
- Stacie Orrico, former CCM singer, has filed a lawsuit against her ex-manager for alleged sexual assault and exploitation.
- The lawsuit claims Orrico was groomed and assaulted as a minor while under the care of industry representatives.
- Orrico seeks damages for emotional and psychological harm caused by the alleged abuse and negligence of her management.
Stacie Orrico, a former Christian music pop star known for early 2000s hits like "Stuck" and "(There’s Gotta Be) More to Life," has filed a civil lawsuit accusing her former manager of grooming, sexually assaulting and exploiting her as a minor, while record labels and management companies allegedly failed to protect her.
Discovered by the Christian music industry at age 12, after winning a singing competition in 1998, Orrico signed with EMI Christian Music Group, now under Universal Music Group. Her debut album, Genuine, was released in 2000 and went gold, while her 2001 holiday album, Christmas Wish, peaked at No. 26 on the U.S. Top Holiday Albums chart.
As part of her career, Orrico toured extensively, including with artists like Destiny’s Child during their 2001 U.S. tour. "They taught me a lot," The Christian Post reported back in 2004. "There they were, on top of the world, yet I would watch them still take time to talk to the fans, and listen to people, and never act jaded."
The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Jan. 6, names former manager Britt Ham, who was previously affiliated with her management company Rocketown, along with Universal Music Group, ForeFront Records, and other entities as defendants. It alleges that between the ages of 13 and 17, Orrico was groomed, sexually assaulted, and exploited by an industry representative. The suit claims the corporate entities responsible for supervising her career failed to implement reasonable safeguards during travel, promotional activities, and other work obligations.
According to the allegations, the industry prioritized the commercial value of Orrico’s public image as a wholesome Christian pop star while neglecting the young teen’s safety and well-being. Inadequate oversight, lack of protective policies for minors, and ignored warning signs, the complaint adds, allegedly enabled years of sexual abuse and exploitation.
“The Christian music industry ‘discovered’ twelve-year-old Stacie Orrico, exploited her and destroyed her innocence,” the complaint states.
As rumors of an inappropriate relationship circulated, the lawsuit claims the entities blamed Orrico for not upholding Christian values instead of supporting her as a child victim, effectively chasing her out of the business. In the aftermath, Orrico was unable to continue her work as an artist, even as her songs remained on the airwaves.
EMI executives Greg Ham and Eddie DeGarmo are also named in the suit, which alleges DeGarmo said in 2002 that he was aware of Orrico’s relationship with Britt Ham but “blamed her for the relationship, and told her it could jeopardize her career."
According to the court filing, Orrico cut ties with Ham in March 2004, at age 18. Her music career then came to “an abrupt end” in 2007 after she left her record company.
Now 39, after years of therapy, personal struggle, and efforts to reconcile her religious upbringing with the trauma she endured, Orrico says she is seeking accountability for the years of alleged emotional, psychological and spiritual harm.
“The music industry failed to protect me when I was a little girl. It has taken me years to become strong enough, but I am ready to fight for every young and innocent person who has been, and continues to be, abused in the music industry and in the Church,” Orrico said in a statement shared with CP via her attorney.
Calling the case a “chilling account of a child whose love of God and whose extraordinary talent drew the attention of an industry that saw profit, not protection,” attorney Mo Hamoudi said those who were in positions of influence failed Orrico. “Instead of safeguarding her, they allowed her to be abused while others made money, leaving her exposed to the darkest corners of their own system,” she said.
The complaint seeks damages for claims including negligence, negligent supervision, negligent failure to warn or train, sexual battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and punitive damages.
After garnering awards from the Gospel Music Association (GMA), the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, USA (ASCAP), and Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI), as well as a Grammy nomination, Orrico stepped away from the music scene in the late 2000s before making a short-lived comeback in 2013.
