Sam Wood left a trail of disgruntled business partners of the fitness program that made him a millionaire, with two separate court cases seeking to recoup money from the fitness guru and accused domestic abuser.
The disputes are revealed in court documents which show Wood was accused of leaving collaborators out of pocket on deals as he founded and built the health empire.
Wood’s appearance on reality TV show The Bachelor propelled his career in business, including with 28 by Sam Wood, which he eventually sold to Melbourne billionaire Dennis Bastas in 2022 when the business was valued at more than $70 million. Wood has admitted getting $15 million in the deal.
As Wood remains locked up in Queensland while awaiting trial for charges for alleged domestic violence against his wife, Snezana, details about his crumbling business empire continue to emerge.
Loup, which launched action-star Chris Hemsworth’s online fitness business Centr, fought Wood in court claiming that 28 By Sam Wood did not stump up $400,000 after they ended their “commercial arrangement” in September 2016.
A source with knowledge of the dispute, speaking on the condition of anonymity to detail sensitive business dealings, said Loup – formerly The Health Consultancy – wanted to open the 28 platform to other influencers and celebrities to launch their own fitness programs.
But Wood wanted to be the single and only face of the platform, the source said. So after about eight months, they agreed to terminate their business relationship.
Initially, the split was on good terms, but it became acrimonious when Wood launched County Court action claiming Loup – which was helping build the website and filmed content – breached its contract terms.
He accused them of failing to monitor and “promptly” respond to private Facebook group posts and communicating with the customer database outside the “normal” course of business.
This included Loup emailing their database advertising a new online fitness business named “TiffXO”, linked to influencer Tiffiny Hall, according to Wood’s writ. They also made an announcement about the separation of the business.
Wood also claimed that Loup failed to hand over the exercise videos “free from any encumbrances”, including trying to charge him $50,000 for the video assets.
Loup denied all of these allegations in its defence and fired back in a counterclaim alleging that Wood paid out $425,000 as promised when they split in September 2016, but failed to pay monthly tranches of $100,000 for the next four months.
According to Loup’s counterclaim, they would “assist … Sam Wood to leverage his appearance on a reality television program known as The Bachelor to launch his personal training business.”
Under the deal, Loup would negotiate with Channel 10 to reduce the period of time that Wood was restricted from “using his name in association with a commercial venture to facilitate the launch of his personal training business”.
As well, Loup would assist Wood to establish and maintain an online presence for his personal training business. Under the original deal, Wood would own 60 per cent of the business and Loup the remaining 40 per cent.
The source said Loup and Wood ultimately settled out of court on “less than satisfactory” terms to the content business (Loup). Loup does not have any commercial relationship with Wood at all.
It is not the first time Wood has ended up in legal conflict with those involved in his 28 fitness platform.
In 2018, the former Bachelor star was accused of turning his back on a deal with Melbourne businessmen George Moraitis and Jim Angelopoulos which they claimed would have provided the pair with a 25 per cent stake in 28 By Sam Wood.
Under the deal outlined in Moraitis and Angelopoulos’ court filing, Wood was to be the face of the business and determine its programs and content, while they built a website and app for the platform and managed the back end of the business.
The pair started working with Wood in July 2016, but the working relationship had ended by November 2017.
Moraitis and Angelopoulos then took Supreme Court of Victoria action claiming that, despite repeated requests, Wood had refused to transfer the 25 per cent share to them and had cut them out of the business altogether.
The pair claimed they “worked long hours and well above and beyond” those expected of a regular employee.
In a defence filed to the court, Wood denied there had been a deal involving a transfer of shares and instead claimed there had been an agreement for the pair to provide management services to 28 and that in return they would receive 25 per cent of the net profit after tax of the business for as long as they provided those services.
Wood claimed Moraitis and Angelopoulos used the word partner on business cards and email signatures, but it was a “colloquial use of the word”.
The case was set down for a two-week trial in March 2019 before being vacated.
Read more:
- Sam Wood had the world, now it’s crashing down around him
- Luxury to lock-up: Sam Wood’s arrest in paradise
- Inside Sam Wood’s rise to fame and fortune
