Mississippians have come to know and love Poplarville-based country music trio Chapel Hart, but according to a Facebook post by member Danica Hart, the love hasn’t been extended by other members of the band and the group’s management.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, where emotion could be felt through the words, Danica wrote that after several months of silence, she’s speaking out about “physical violence and abuse” and “being pushed out” of the band that first achieved fame on “America’s Got Talent.”
“Over the past several months, I have remained silent, but I can no longer stay quiet about what has happened,” she penned. “I am being pushed out of my band and my company, and throughout this time, I and other members of our team have been subjected to physical violence and abuse. I am at the point of breaking.”
The group’s lead vocalist wrote that Chapel Hart’s management team has already typed up an unsent press release about her departure being an attempt to break up the band. Her response to that notion: “That. Is. Not. True.”
According to the band’s website, Chapel Hart is managed under the JT3D LLC label. The music production and management team is in part led by Jeff Glixman, who Danica called out by name in the post.
She said Glixman, as well as fellow band members Trea Swindle and her sister Devynn Hart, have signed a document to continue under the Chapel Hart name if Danica did not sign by Tuesday at midnight. This came after she voiced her concerns about “bad behavior and immorality going on that had no consequence or repercussions.”
“I received a message tonight stating that if I didn’t sign a document typed up by Jeff Glixman and Trea Swindle and Devynn Hart saying, if I didn’t sign it by 12 a.m., they would be continuing their career in Chapel Hart without me! And my question is how???” the post continued.
Danica ended the post by asking for attorneys with experience in band agreements and contracts to contact her.
“I would like to seek legal counsel to figure out how to move forward, as I am not sure how to proceed legally at this time,” she wrote. “…I really need an entertainment attorney or maybe a regular attorney or any suggestion on what to do…please help.”
Danica’s post did not expound on the alleged instances of violence and abuse. However, an email from other band members to SuperTalk Mississippi News said they are “currently on the road traveling but are preparing a statement” to address the post.
Chapel Hart has a summer full of concerts scheduled, but it’s unclear if Danica will be taking the stage alongside Swindle and Devynn. Upcoming stops include in Iowa, Missouri, and the Choctaw Indian Fair in east Mississippi next weekend that will also include a performance by hip hop star Flo Rida.
“My intention was to fulfill the commitments and complete the agreed-upon dates, but given the circumstances, I no longer feel safe or supported to continue,” Danica wrote.
From meteoric rise to potential breakup
Chapel Hart became a global phenomenon when they became the first-ever group to garner a unanimous Golden Buzzer on “America’s Got Talent” in 2022. Simon Cowell, one of the show’s judges, predicted at the time that the group “may have just broken down that door” between them and Nashville.
Since the show, the Hart sisters and Trea Swindle have experienced a meteoric rise through the country music scene. They’ve gone on multiple international tours, recorded two more studio albums, and were named a “Next Big Thing” artist by CMT. Their most listened to songs are “You Can Have Him Jolene,” “The Girls Are Back in Town,” and “Ol’ Church Hymn” alongside country superstar Darius Rucker.
It’s unclear if the band will be able to continue that success if Danica leaves. Being the lead vocalist, she is not only the voice but often the face of the group.
