Stacie Orrico, known for her early 2000s Christian pop hits, filed a lawsuit on January 6 in Los Angeles alleging sexual abuse by her former manager starting at age 14. The suit names Britt Ham and Universal Music Group, which owns her former label ForeFront Records. Orrico claims the abuse derailed her career and caused lasting emotional harm.
Stacie Orrico rose to prominence in the Christian music scene as a teenager. Discovered in 1998 at a Christian music competition judged by Britt Ham and Eddie DeGarmo, she signed with ForeFront Records in 1999 at age 13, with Ham becoming her manager.
According to the lawsuit, the abuse began in 2000 when Orrico was 14, during promotion for her debut album Genuine, which reached No. 6 on Billboard's Top Christian Albums chart. She alleges Ham kissed and groped her at a Los Angeles hotel. The suit states: “Plaintiff was confused [and] ashamed, but grew increasingly close to her abuser who impressed the importance of secrecy and the need to act Christian and wholesome in public.”
The abuse allegedly continued for years, culminating in sexual relations in 2003 when Orrico was 17, during promotion for her self-titled sophomore album. That album hit No. 1 on Top Christian Albums and featured Billboard Hot 100 entries “Stuck” and “(There’s Gotta Be) More to Life.” Orrico claims DeGarmo and ForeFront executives knew of the abuse but prioritized “reputational and financial interests” over her safety, failing to intervene or report it.
Orrico fired Ham in 2004 and left ForeFront in 2007, after which her music career “came to an abrupt end.” The lawsuit details ongoing harms including anxiety, depression, panic attacks, and artistic impairment. It reads: “The Christian music industry disregarded signs of abuse and then abandoned her when the abuse surfaced.”
Filed under the California Child Victims Act, which extends the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse claims, Orrico seeks damages for sexual abuse, sexual battery, negligence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. A UMG representative declined to comment, and no response was available from Ham or DeGarmo.
