Musician Michael Franti Admits Cheating on His Wife but Denies Allegations of 'Sexual Abuse' and "Grooming'
- - Musician Michael Franti Admits Cheating on His Wife but Denies Allegations of 'Sexual Abuse' and "Grooming'
Craig RosenAugust 19, 2025 at 1:05 AM
(Photo by Dominik Bindl/Getty Images)
Musician Michael Franti Admits Cheating on His Wife but Denies Allegations of 'Sexual Abuse' and "Grooming' originally appeared on Parade.
Indie musician Michael Frantihas admitted that he cheated on his wife in a “romantic relationship outside” of his marriage but denies allegation that he abused and groomed female artist Victoria Canal.
Although neither artist has named names in their Instagram posts containing their respective statements, the fallout from the allegations has affected Franti’s career.
🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬
The Soulshine at Sea with Michael Franti cruise, which was scheduled for a Nov. 4-8 journey from Miami to Cozumel, has been canceled “in light of recent events,” promoter Sixthman announced on Instagram.
Also, Activist Artist Management, Franti’s longtime management company, has parted with the artist, according to Billboard.
The controversy surrounding Franti went public with Canal’s Aug. 11 birthday post on Instagram, titled “TW: Sexual Abuse, Grooming,” in which the singer claimed that an unnamed older male musician had groomed her and took pictures of her without her consent.
“I was a virgin, it feels important to say. Also to say, for many months I wasn’t provided my own accommodation in this situation (though I had the same job as every other hired musician who was provided accommodation), so if I wanted a bed to sleep in and a shower to use, he made sure it was his,” part of the post reads.
Franti responded with his own Instagram post on Aug. 17, in which he admitted to cheating on his wife and seemingly responded to Canal’s accusations, without mentioning her name.
“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,” he wrote.
“I vehemently dispute any version of the story that says otherwise. I will however, take full accountability for not better recognizing the power imbalance as she was younger than me, and I was the headliner on tour. For those reasons alone, I never should have allowed the relationship to become romantic.”
Over on the Soulshine at Sea Instagram account, fans debated whether Franti should be forgiven or canceled.
“Did anyone read his statement? The man has ATONED. He doesn’t deserve to be cancelled,” one fan wrote.
“he refused to take accountability for the most serious allegations... no one is cancelling him for cheating on his wife, but for preying on and assaulting younger artists in the industry,” another one responded.
Musician Michael Franti Admits Cheating on His Wife but Denies Allegations of 'Sexual Abuse' and "Grooming' first appeared on Parade on Aug 19, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
Source: “AOL AOL Entertainment”
