Bear Rinehart, who helped found the South Carolina alternative rock band NEEDTOBREATHE in 1998, recently responded to allegations of child sexual abuse from younger brother and former bandmate Bo.
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Calling the accusations “deeply hurtful and misleading,” the lead vocalist, 44, wrote on Instagram Saturday (June 14), “I love Bo deeply and I always will. Since his departure from the band over five years ago, we have done everything in our power to treat him with respect and privacy. I would never choose to disparage him, especially at a time where he is clearly in pain.”
He continued, ‘But as a father and husband, I must protect my family from claims that misrepresent the truth.”
Bear’s comments followed a post made to Bo Rinehart’s Instagram Thursday (June 12), in which the 43-year-old banjo and guitar player claimed he was “sexually, physically, and emotionally abused by my brother.” He also accused a camp counselor and youth pastor of sexually abusing him as a child.
Bo Rinehart wrote, “I am an alcoholic. I am a sinner, but I am a believer. I believe in God’s grace, and I believe that his mercy has shown that he is consistent, even though we don’t deserve it.”
He continued, “I believe that God has bigger plans for me and part of those plans are telling my story because it’s so hard for anyone to tell stories like these.”
NEEDTOBREATHE Vocalist Refutes Brother’s Sexual Abuse Claims
On his Instagram post, Bear Rinehart wrote that both he and his younger brother experienced childhood sexual abuse at the hands of a teenage Christian camp counselor. Although neither brother sought help until they reached adulthood, the NEEDTOBREATHE vocalist says he has found freedom from the trauma through counseling.
“Bo’s recent accusation me conflates our shared experience of abuse with a childhood incident he misrepresents,” Bear continued. “While going through a two day intensive counseling session with Bo five years ago, I learned that he was hurt by things that happened in our early teen years as well. At that counseling session I took full responsibility for any part I played in that pain. We processed those moments of shared trauma in detail and left with an understanding that we were two young boys trying to cope with the unimaginable. 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.”
Asking for privacy and prayers, Bear concluded by saying he still hopes to one day reconcile with his younger sibling.
The Grammy nominees announced Bo’s departure from NEEDTOBREATHE in 2020.
Featured image by David A. Smith/Getty Images
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