Christian pop singer Stacie Orrico has filed a lawsuit alleging she was sexually abused for years by her former manager while she was a minor — and that her label knew and failed to protect her.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, Jan. 6, names Britt Ham, her former manager, along with Universal Music Group, Christian music label ForeFront Records, and others. Orrico alleges sexual battery, childhood sexual abuse, gender violence and negligence, arguing that those in positions of authority prioritized profit and reputation over her safety.
“The music industry failed to protect me when I was a little girl,” the “Stuck” singer said in a statement. “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.”
According to the complaint, Orrico was 12 when she won a Christian music festival competition in 1998 and caught the attention of Ham, who was then affiliated with Rocketown Management. She signed with ForeFront Records the following year, with assurances to her family that her “wholesome” image as a Christian child artist would be protected.
Orrico alleges that Ham sexually assaulted her for the first time in 2000 during a business trip to Los Angeles, when she was 14.
“[He] kissed her and instructed her to lie on his bed next to him,” the filing claims. “Ham continued to kiss her and touched her over her clothes and between her legs.”
The filing details repeated abuse over several years, including additional assaults during trips when she was 15 and later, and alleges that Ham used spiritual manipulation to confuse and silence her.
“Following these acts,” the filing claims, “Ham gave Plaintiff conflicting explanations. He would instruct her that the acts were not a sin because he loved her. He would blame her then absolve her for his inability to resist engaging in sex acts with her.”
The complaint further alleges that defendants were aware of warning signs but failed to take proactive steps to remove Ham from his role or protect Orrico, even after concerns were voiced to label representatives. Orrico says she fired Ham in 2004, after turning 18, and later suffered anxiety, depression, panic attacks and long-term emotional harm. Her music career stalled soon after, and she left ForeFront and Virgin Records by 2007.
“Stacie’s case is a chilling account of a child whose love for God and extraordinary talent drew the attention of an industry that saw profit, not protection,” her attorney Mo Hamoudi said in a statement.
Orrico rose to prominence in the early 2000s with crossover hits including “(There’s Gotta Be) More to Life,” which reached No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100, and “Stuck,” which was featured in the Disney Channel film Stuck in the Suburbs. In 2004, she was nominated for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album at the Grammy Awards. Her last album was released in 2006.
Now a married mother of two, Orrico says she continues to experience lasting effects from the alleged abuse. She is seeking unspecified damages and a jury trial, saying the lawsuit is ultimately about accountability — not just for herself, but for others who were similarly vulnerable.
