Fitness Trainer Sam Wood Pleads Not Guilty to DV Charges

Celebrity fitness trainer Sam Wood may plead self-defense to domestic violence charges related to an alleged attack on his wife, Snezana, a court has heard. Wood, who has been held at the Maroochydore watchhouse since his arrest, denies strangling or assaulting his wife at a holiday apartment in Noosa on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

Queensland Police told Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Monday of a previously unreported incident in Victoria that they described as 'similar in nature' to the Noosa allegations. Wood's solicitor, Mathew Cuskelly, stated that police would allege Wood's stepdaughter, Eve, was being hostile, and that Snezana Wood approached him, leading him to push her away. "My client may indeed be entitled to self defence argument," Cuskelly told the court. "These are matters that need to be further explored."

Police charged the 46-year-old Victorian man with assault occasioning bodily harm and strangulation in a domestic setting after responding to reports of domestic violence at the Hastings Street address around 9 p.m. on Saturday. Wood was staying at the $3,000-a-night La Mer complex with his wife, their three young children, and his 21-year-old stepdaughter.

Wood did not appear in court on Monday, represented by his lawyer. Cuskelly said Wood intends to defend the charges, is in good spirits, but is concerned for his family and eager to return to Victoria. Wood and his wife, who met on the third season of The Bachelor in 2015, issued a joint statement on Instagram Monday morning acknowledging the situation. "This is a difficult time for all of us, we are working through this as a family and are thoroughly co-operating with the authorities," the statement read.

DBG Health, the company that purchased Wood's fitness business '28 by Sam Wood' for $71 million in 2022, initially placed Wood on indefinite leave, stating it has "zero tolerance" for domestic violence. On Tuesday, the company terminated all arrangements with Wood.

Pre-packaged meal company Foxes Den and celebrity trainer Tiffiny Hall, who had strong links to Wood's former brand, have also confirmed they are no longer affiliated with him. Wood remains the owner of The Woodshed gym in Melbourne.