Sam Wood, the fitness influencer and former star of the Australian reality television show The Bachelor, has been charged in Queensland with domestic violence offenses. The 46-year-old Victorian man was arrested Sunday following an alleged incident at a residence in Noosa on Saturday night.
Queensland police confirmed officers responded to reports of domestic violence around 9 p.m. on Saturday. Wood faces charges including assault occasioning bodily harm and strangulation in a domestic setting. The identity of the alleged victim or victims has not been disclosed.
Wood appeared via video link at Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Monday, where he was remanded in custody. His lawyer, Mathew Cuskelly, said Wood intends to apply for bail, with the application scheduled for hearing on Thursday. Cuskelly also stated that Wood plans to defend the charges and is primarily concerned about his family.
In response to the charges, Mark Watkin, acting chief executive of 28 by 8 Group—the parent company of Wood’s fitness brand 28 by Sam Wood—announced that Wood had stepped down indefinitely from his professional duties. Watkin emphasized the company’s zero-tolerance stance on domestic violence and expressed sympathy for those affected by such incidents.
A joint statement posted on the Instagram accounts of Wood and his wife, Snezana Wood, referred to the situation as a difficult time for their family and confirmed their cooperation with authorities.
Wood gained national recognition as the lead on the third season of The Bachelor in 2015. He met Snezana Markoski, a contestant on the show, and the couple married in 2018. They have four daughters, including one from Markoski’s previous relationship. Professionally, Wood owns The Woodshed, a personal training studio based in Melbourne’s Brighton East, and expanded his profile into fitness and nutrition through the brand 28 by Sam Wood. This business was sold in 2022 for $71.2 million to tech company myDNA and is now operated under DBG Health, with Wood continuing as its public face until recently.
In recent years, Wood has faced scrutiny from the Australian Taxation Office over alleged unpaid tax debts reportedly exceeding $7 million. The matter was settled and dismissed in September after reaching a resolution.
Wood has also launched a telehealth-based weight loss service called Ollo for Women, targeting middle-aged women with a combination of fitness, nutrition support, and medical treatments, reportedly including GLP-1 medication, delivered in partnership with the telehealth provider Medmate.
Several brands associated with Wood have started to sever ties amid the ongoing legal matter. The ready meal provider Foxes Den announced on Monday that it was ending its association with Wood immediately.
Wood is expected to appear in Queensland court again on Thursday to address the bail application.