Fitness entrepreneur Pete Haselhurst, co-founder of the CHANGE fitness empire and the former Milky Lane burger chain, has been charged with extortion, stalking, and drug possession. The arrest followed a dawn raid on his Gold Coast home on Tuesday.
According to Queensland Police, the charges stem from alleged incidents where two men, described as being known to police, confronted individuals and demanded significant sums of money. One incident reportedly occurred on July 18, when two men allegedly identified themselves as debt collectors to a couple at their Mermaid Waters home and demanded money. The couple was then taken to a local cafe to meet with a 39-year-old man, with whom they had a prior business venture, where further threats were allegedly made.
On the following Sunday, the same two men allegedly appeared at the home of a 47-year-old man in Currumbin Waters, demanding money and making threats. Police stated that this man was involved in a restaurant business venture with the 39-year-old man between 2016 and 2021.
Haselhurst, who co-founded CHANGE with his partner Emma Jean Pearson, was charged with three counts of extortion, three counts of unlawful stalking, and one count of possessing dangerous drugs. He was also charged with one count of buying or possessing prescription drugs. Pearson is not implicated in the charges.
Haselhurst was held overnight and was scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday. He previously ran F45 Bondi Beach for six years before departing in 2020 to build the CHANGE fitness brand, which he markets as an alternative to F45. He also co-founded the Milky Lane chain but left around the same time. Investigations into matters involving Haselhurst are ongoing, according to Queensland Police.