NEEDTOBREATHE Frontman Bear Rinehart Accused by Younger Brother Bo of Sexual Abuse

By Timothy Yap Jun 14, 2025 04:45 AM EDT

Former NEEDTOBREATHE guitarist Bo Rinehart has posted a statement on Instagram alleging that he was sexually assaulted multiple times during his childhood by three different people, including Bear Rinehart, his brother and the band's lead singer.⁠
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"I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse," Bo wrote in his statement. "I've been sexually abused by a Camp counselor. I've been sexually, physically and emotionally abused by my brother. And I've been abused by my youth pastor."⁠
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Following this statement, Bo posted a picture of Bear in a since-deleted Instagram story with the caption "sexual abuser."⁠
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Bear and Bo formed the band in the early 2000s and eventually achieved crossover success despite initially being categorized as a "Christian band." Bo left the band in 2020.⁠
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In 2023, Bo spoke to 'People' about coming to terms with his sexual abuse as an adult. At the time, he did not provide details of the alleged abuse.⁠
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"It takes time," Bo said. "At some point in our lives, we get to this stage - and it's generally with survivors of childhood sexual abuse, it's in their late 30s or early 40s - where it starts to surface whether you want it to or not. You'll start to see how your life's kind of breaking down."⁠
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Neither Bear Rinehart nor NEEDTOBREATHE have commented on the allegations at the time of publishing.