- Michael Franti admitted to an affair seven years ago while on tour with another artist
- His wife discovered the affair, causing significant turmoil in their family life
- Franti denied any abuse claims, stating the relationship was consensual despite power imbalance
Michael Franti, the lead singer of Spearhead, recently revealed a personal struggle with infidelity in an Instagram message to his over 262,000 followers. The 59-year-old singer confessed to having an affair seven years ago while on tour with another artist, which his wife discovered, leading to significant turmoil in their family life. In the post, Mr Franti expressed deep remorse for breaking his marital vows and betraying his wife's trust, acknowledging the immense emotional distress he caused.
"7 years ago, I had a romantic relationship outside my marriage. It was with an artist who was touring with me. I broke my wedding vows, I broke my wife's trust, I broke her heart, and for that am deeply sorry for the pain my actions have caused her," he wrote.
"Over the course of the tour, we spent a lot of time together and soon began to feel strong emotions for one another. Eventually, I made the most regrettable mistake of allowing the relationship to become romantic. My wife found out about it, and to save my marriage, we ended the relationship. The artist stayed on tour with us, and we maintained a professional relationship. After the tour ended, she continued to perform at several shows," the singer-musician added.
See the post here:
Notably, his decision to come forward publicly is said to be influenced by Victoria Canal's allegations. Singer-songwriter Victoria Canal recently revealed that she had a year-long abusive relationship with an older, "very powerful" man in the music industry. She shared the allegations in an Instagram post last Monday. Without naming the individual, Ms Canal claimed she was "groomed and manipulated."
In his statement, Mr Franti acknowledged the artist's recent posts about their relationship but dismissed the abuse. He wrote, "I'm aware of the recent posts this artist made about our relationship, and while I support her need to express herself publicly, the relationship was completely consensual, based on mutual feelings and attraction. I vehemently dispute any version of the story that says otherwise. I will, however, take full accountability for not better recognising the power imbalance as she was younger than me, and was the headliner on tour."
As a result of the allegations, the Soulshine at Sea music cruise, scheduled for November 4-8, 2025, was cancelled. Several artists, including Dispatch, Maggie Rose, Hirie, and Liz Vice, withdrew from the event, prompting festival promoter Sixthman to announce the cancellation.
Michael Franti is married to Sara Agah Franti, a former emergency room nurse. She is also a philanthropist, founding 'Do It For Love', a non-profit wish-granting organisation based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Additionally, she serves as CEO of Soulshine Bali, a sound and wellness resort in Indonesia that she co-owns with Mr Franti.
The couple tied the knot in 2015 and has two children together, born in 2018 and May 2025.
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