Source : Perth Now news
Bachelor star Matty J says he is “ashamed” he used to look up to Sam Wood as the fitness guru faces allegations that he strangled his wife.
Mr Wood was charged with assault occasioning bodily harm (domestic violence) and strangulation in a domestic setting following the alleged assault on Mrs Wood at Noosa on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast on Saturday.
He is accused of assaulting and strangling his wife Snezana.
Mr Wood’s lawyer Mathew Cuskelly confirmed he would be applying for Mr Wood’s bail in the Supreme Court after his failed bid for freedom in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Thursday afternoon.
Mr Wood shot to fame after appearing on the 2015 season of The Bachelor Australia where he met his now wife Snezana Wood, previously Markoski.
Fellow Bachelor star Matthew Johnson — known as Matty J — has revealed he is “ashamed” that he used to look up to Mr Wood in the wake of the allegations.
Johnson recalled meeting with Mr Wood in Melbourne shortly after he became the fifth Bachelor, writing that he thought at the time Mr Wood was “the kind of man I want to be” in an editorial piece for media outlet Women’s Agenda.
“I feel ashamed that I once looked up to Sam as someone I wanted to emulate. I feel deeply for Snezana and her children,” he wrote.
But Johnson made it clear he has never been close with Mr Wood, saying he was “shocked” by the allegations despite being aware of the prevalence of domestic violence in Australia.
“What makes this so confronting isn’t just the gravity of the allegations. It’s how they contradict the image many of us had… of him,” Johnson wrote.
“The man I once saw as a benchmark for success has now been charged for a crime that represents the very worst in what men are capable of.”
Johnson emphasised the importance of teaching boys about respect, and to challenge mates when they cross a line.
Shortly after starring on reality show, Mr Wood launched his fitness empire, known as 28 by Sam Wood, which he sold in 2022 to myDNA Inc under the umbrella of DBG Health for $71m.
The Aussie star remained the brand’s public face until this week, when he was stood down and ultimately axed by DBG Health in the wake of the allegations.
A series of celebrities and influencers have also distanced themselves from Mr Wood this week, including fellow Bachelor Australia star Matt Agnew, former Biggest Loser trainer Tiffiny Hall, actor Tammin Sursok and Married At First Sight star Jules Robinson.
Details of alleged assault
The court was told on the night of the alleged assault, Mrs Wood told police she had been packing to leave the next day when she and Mr Wood started arguing.
It was alleged he pushed her into a wardrobe, with Mrs Wood’s 21-year-old daughter Eve Markoski-Wood telling him to stop yelling.
Prosecutors allege Mr Wood then went “aggressively” towards his step-daughter and Mrs Wood blocked his path.
The court was told Mr Wood then allegedly grabbed his wife by the neck and pulled her to the ground, restricting her breathing.
It was heard Mrs Wood told police after the alleged assault that Mr Wood was “volatile and prone to angry outbursts”, and she felt she had to “walk on eggshells around him”.
The court heard she thought “this was it”, “her life was going to end” and Mr Wood was “going to kill her”.
Mr Wood told police there was “an argument in the bedroom” and agreed there was “pushing and shoving”, but adamantly denied allegations of strangulation, the court was told.
Mr Wood’s lawyer Mathew Cuskelly said his client could potentially argue a self-defence case if the matter was to reach trial.
“My client may indeed be entitled to a self-defence argument,” he said.
“He is indicating a set of circumstances that may result in that.”
In denying bail, acting magistrate Janelle Boegheim said Mr Cuskelly had not sufficiently ameliorated risks to Mrs Wood or the “practical difficulty” Mr Wood may fail to appear in court in Queensland while living in Victoria.
His case will return to court on November 23.
