Seventeen years after his band became an international success, Creed singer Scott Stapp is now “penniless” and living out of a Holiday Inn.
According to a video of Stapp posted to the Creed Facebook page, the trouble started eight weeks ago when he began an audit of his record company and his personal finances. In the course of the audit Stapp said he found evidence that a substantial amount of money was missing.
“During the course of that audit a lot of things were uncovered,” said Stapp. “A lot of money was stolen from me or royalties not paid, and that’s when all hell began to break loose. So I think you guys are smart enough to put two and two together. There are people who have taken advantage and stolen money from me and they’re trying to discredit me, slander me.”
Stapp said that he is “sober as can be” and claims that he is undergoing weekly blood and urine tests to combat recent rumors that he has relapsed into drug and alcohol abuse.
The singer also claims that over the past few years he has “rededicated his life to Christ” and is “proud” to be a Christian. Stapp compared his situation to other biblical figures who were attacked for their beliefs and said he is praying for the people who are spreading “vicious rumors and lies” about him.
As for his current situation, Stapp said the IRS has frozen his bank accounts, leaving him “completely penniless.” The singer claims that the IRS later clarified this as a clerical error and said that his funds would be unfrozen in 9 to ten months.
“This all will be public,” said Stapp. “I’m gonna take it public and I’m gonna expose and I’m gonna fight every single individual that is responsible for this.”
Creed released the album My Own Prison in 1997 and quickly found stardom. Over the next year songs such as “My Own Prison,” “What’s This Life For,” and “One” ranked highly on Billboard’s music charts. The band’s next two albums, Human Clay and Weathered topped the charts.
Following their whirlwind success, Creed broke up in 2004. Band members cited Stapp’s behavior and drug addiction as factors in the break-up.