In 2015, Australians watched a Melbourne personal trainer search for love on national television. By the end of the season, he had chosen a single mother from Western Australia, and the pair appeared to have found something that reality television rarely delivers: a lasting relationship.
That man was Sam Wood. The woman he chose was Snezana Markoski, now known as Snezana Wood.
Their romance became one of the most recognisable success stories to emerge from the Australian version of The Bachelor.
They went on to marry, raise a family together and build a public profile that extended well beyond reality television.
Sam became known as a fitness entrepreneur, while Snezana developed her own public profile as a mother, businesswoman and social media personality. Their family life, their children and their relationship featured regularly in the content they shared with followers.
For years, the Woods represented a familiar modern celebrity story: a relationship that began on television, survived beyond the cameras and grew into a family and a business brand.
But in October 2026, that public image was thrown into uncertainty when Sam Wood was charged with domestic violence offences following a police investigation in Noosa, Queensland.
The charges included assault occasioning bodily harm in a domestic violence context and strangulation in a domestic setting. Sam’s lawyer subsequently said he would defend the charges.
This news has come as a shock to many people who are familiar with the couple as Sam always seemed like ‘Mr Nice Guy’ and their family with four beautiful daughters seemed like they were living the dream.
We are going to start off with background on Sam and Snezana.
Samuel James Wood was born on 20 May 1980. He grew up in Tasmania, including West Hobart. He is the eldest of three children born to Andrew and Wendy Wood. His younger siblings are his sister Hannah and brother Alex.
His father, Andrew, worked in the hospitality and catering industry, while Wendy cared for the children as they were growing up.
That arrangement changed dramatically when Wendy became ill.
Wendy was diagnosed with cancer when Sam was around 13. She underwent treatment for approximately two years before dying when he was 15.
His sister Hannah was about 12, while his brother Alex was still a young child.
Andrew suddenly found himself raising three children without the partner who had been central to their upbringing.
Accounts of Sam’s childhood describe Andrew leaving his catering business and taking on the role of full-time father for a period after Wendy’s death.
Sam said in an interview “Mum was our everything.”
He also spoke about his father and how he stepped up into the role of both parents.
“He was so selfless and he did a remarkable job.”
As he grew up, Sam became interested in fitness and he began working in that industry.
He was a Melbourne-based personal trainer, working with clients and developing his career in the health and fitness sector. His professional life revolved around exercise, nutrition and helping people improve their physical health.
Snezana Markoski was born on October 10, 1980.
Snezana was born into a family of Macedonian heritage. Her parents, Marko and Menka Markovski, moved to Australia seeking better opportunities for their family.
She has a sister, Lidija, and a younger brother, Robert. Snezana is said to be especially close with her sister.
Snezana gave birth to her first daughter, Eve, when she was 24. Eve’s father is Jason Rapoff. Snezana married Jason when she was around five months pregnant. Their relationship lasted for approximately six years and was said to be on-again, off-again. After their final split, Jason did not have much to do with Eve, according to both the mother and daughter. In 2025, Eve said that she had not seen him for 8 years – around 2017.
Eve has credited Snezana with raising her as a single mother and described a hurtful comment she said her father made about her not deserving the life she had.
While Snezana was raising Eve, she pursued a degree in molecular genetics and biochemistry.
In 2015, Sam was selected to lead the third season of Australia’s The Bachelor.
Snezana explained that Eve had encouraged her to get out more, meet people and consider dating and she encouraged her to audition for The Bachelor. Her mother and sister also encouraged her to audition for the programme.
Her biggest concern was leaving Eve behind while filming. She wrote that she had never been away from her daughter, not even for a day. Eve encouraged her to go, telling her she would stay with her grandparents.
Snezana also explained that she told Sam about Eve on the first night of filming. She wanted him to understand immediately that her daughter was her priority and that she would leave the show if he was unwilling to accept that part of her life.
During the finale, Sam obviously chose Snezana. He confessed he had fallen “madly in love” with Snezana and presented her with a custom diamond promise ring, plus a heart-shaped necklace for her daughter, Eve.
The couple began their life together. Snezana and Eve moved from Perth to Melbourne to be with Sam.
Their first biological daughter, Willow Wendy Wood was born on October 8, 2017.
The couple got married in Byron Bay on November 29, 2018.
The couple would have two more daughters together – Charlie in 2019 and Harper in 2022.
Over the years, Sam spoke about how he felt in regards to being a father figure to Eve.
“I am Eve’s dad. That’s how I feel. That’s how I act.”
“We really clicked right from the start, but our relationship has grown and grown.”
“I’ve always let Eve drive the speed in which our relationship developed.”
As well as building a family, Sam began to build a business empire. In 2016, he launched ‘28 by Sam Wood’ – a fitness and nutrition programme built around a 28-day approach to exercise and healthy eating.
The business offered customers a way to access workout plans and fitness guidance from home.
Over the years, the business grew into a substantial brand.
The couple also began investing in property. They purchased their first home together in Elsternwick, Victoria in 2016 for $1.625m. The house was a three-bedroom Edwardian style property and Sam described it as a ‘beautiful little house for their future together.’
They purchased another Elsternwick property in 2018 for over $3m and spent years transforming it into a five-bedroom residence. It featured a heritage façade, a 15-metre swimming pool, outdoor entertaining areas, a gym and a sauna. It was listed in late 2024 and reportedly sold in July 2025 for around $6.6 million.
In 2020, they purchased a home in Mount Martha on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula for $2.7m. They later renovated it and named it Britannia Bay. The beachside home featured prominently in their social media content and was reported to have been rented by Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher during a visit to Australia.
The ‘28 by Sam Wood’ business was reportedly sold in 2022 for approximately $71 million, although Sam retained a connection to the brand and continued to be its public face.
In September 2025, the family purchased a home in Brighton, Victoria in an off-market deal for $7.15m. The home has five bedrooms, a swimming pool and a tennis court. They moved into the property in early 2026.
As of 2025, there are at least three other investment properties that were associated or linked to Sam. They were purchased in 2014, 2017 and 2018 and were all under $500k.
In October 2025, the Deputy Commissioner of Taxation commenced civil proceedings against Sam in the County Court of Victoria, seeking to recover approximately $7.35 million in alleged unpaid tax, interest and related amounts.
The claim was reported as $7,349,264.86. It concerned tax liabilities associated with three financial years: 2021–22, 2022–23 and 2023–24.
By February 2026, Sam was publicly responding to reports of the outstanding tax bill.
In comments to the Herald Sun, he said:
“The majority” of the tax bill had been paid.
He also said his lawyer had been corresponding with the ATO about making the final payment and that he expected the case to be withdrawn soon.
The case was eventually resolved by agreement and dismissed in September 2026. We don’t have any further details on what the agreement entailed.
By February 2026, Sam was publicly responding to reports of the outstanding tax bill.
In comments to the Herald Sun, he said:
“The majority” of the tax bill had been paid.
He also said his lawyer had been corresponding with the ATO about making the final payment and that he expected the case to be withdrawn soon.
The case was eventually resolved by agreement and dismissed in September 2026. We don’t have any further details on what the agreement entailed.
On Saturday 3 October 2026, Sam, Snezana and their four daughters were on holiday in Noosa.
Voted one of Australia’s premier holiday destinations, it blends upscale coastal living with a deep commitment to environmental preservation.
What allegedly happened that night has been revealed in court. The family returned home to their apartment after dinner. Snezana wanted to pack for the flight back to Victoria, which was scheduled for the following day. Sam wanted to go to bed. This is apparently what set off the chain of events. When reporting first emerged of the incident, the alleged victim was not named, we just knew it was a female. As the court process has proceeded, we know now that it was Snezana.
Sam apparently yelled at Snezana and pushed her into a wardrobe inside the bedroom. This is the first physical act that the prosecution would describe in court.
The couple kept arguing and moved into the hallway outside of the bedroom.
Eve was there and told Sam to stop yelling at her mother.
The prosecution alleged that Sam grabbed Snezana by the throat with one hand and threw her against a hallway wall, causing her head to strike it.
He allegedly threw her to the floor and continued holding her by the throat, restricting her airway and preventing her from breathing.
Snezana said that the alleged attack stopped when someone called out. Snezana also said she feared for her life during the incident.
Eve ended up calling 000 (Aus 911). Police were called to the property at approximately 9pm on Saturday night. The ABC reported that Sam was arrested after officers attended the Hastings Street address.
The Australian Financial Review reported that Queensland Ambulance Service paramedics were called to a private residence in Noosa and assessed Snezana, who was described as stable and declined transport to hospital.
The following day Sam was charged with two offences:
– Assault occasioning bodily harm in a domestic violence context.
– Strangulation in a domestic setting.
He was refused police bail and remained in custody.
Sam first appeared in court on Monday 5 October via video link at Maroochydore Magistrates Court, from the Maroochydore Police Watch House.
Sam’s lawyer, Matthew Cuskelly did not seek bail at that appearance. The matter was adjourned until 8 October, when Sam and his team intended to make a more substantial bail application. Sam’s lawyer told the media that Sam intended to defend all the charges.
On Monday October 5, a ‘joint’ statement was issued on both Sam and Snezana’s social media accounts.
The acting chief executive of 28 Group, Mark Watkin, announced that Sam had been placed on indefinite leave from his duties while the matter was investigated and remained before the court. The statement said the organisation had zero tolerance for domestic violence.
“We have all been shocked and saddened by the matters involving Sam Wood.
“We have zero tolerance for domestic violence. While the matter is under investigation and before the court, Sam is on indefinite leave from his duties.
“Our thoughts are with the family and anyone in the community affected by domestic violence.”
The following day, Tuesday, 6 October, DBG Health announced it had terminated its commercial arrangements with Sam, effective immediately.
By this point in time, we still did not know much. What we have told you about the attack, we learned at the 8 October appearance.
Sam again appeared via video link. His father, Andrew Wood, appeared in court alongside Sam’s legal team.
Sergeant Jeanette Grigoris opposed bail and outlined the evidence police intended to rely on. According to the ABC, this included:
- Snezana’s recorded video statement describing the alleged assault.
- Photographs of her injuries.
- A statement from a responding paramedic.
- The circumstances of the emergency call made by Eve.
The prosecutor said Snezana supported the criminal charges and described her recorded statement as strong evidence.
We also learned that there were reports of an earlier similar incident in Victoria, that happened around three years before the Noosa incident.
The prosecutor alleged that Sam had previously thrown Snezana against a wall and strangled her. The court was told that no police complaint had been made at the time because Snezana was allegedly afraid of retribution.
The prosecutor also told the court that Sam denied the earlier incident.
The prosecution argued that the alleged history, the nature of the current charges and the risk of further offending made bail inappropriate.
It also argued that Sam’s financial resources and the fact he was visiting Queensland on holiday raised concerns about whether he would return to face the charges.
Sam’s lawyer, Mathew Cuskelly, argued that his client should be released on bail.
The defence pointed to Sam’s lack of prior criminal offending and presented an affidavit from forensic psychologist Professor Ian Coyle concerning Sam’s mental health. Sam’s lawyer told the court Sam was suffering from extremely severe depression and argued that he should be able to access mental health professionals.
The defence also raised the possibility of a self-defence argument.
Acting Magistrate Janelle Boegheim refused bail, describing the prosecution case as relatively strong.
Sam was remanded in custody until 23 November 2026, the date set for his next scheduled appearance in the Magistrates Court.
After his bail application was refused, Sam was moved from the Maroochydore Watch House to the Brisbane Correctional Centre at Wacol
His legal team confirmed it had instructions to lodge a further bail application in the Supreme Court of Queensland.
On 13 October 2026, Sam was transferred to Wolston Correctional Centre in Wacol, Brisbane, a high-security prison. He has been placed under a safety order and is being held separately from the general prison population, according to 7NEWS. The reported reason is to protect him from possible targeting by other prisoners because of his public profile and the nature of the allegations against him.
Wolston has housed several notorious Queensland offenders, including convicted murderers and other prisoners considered unsuitable for the mainstream prison population.
Other inmates include:
Brett Peter Cowan – was convicted of abducting and murdering 13-year-old Daniel Morcombe, who disappeared from a Sunshine Coast bus stop in December 2003. Daniel’s remains were discovered in 2011, and Cowan was convicted in 2014 and sentenced to life imprisonment, with a 20-year non-parole period.
Gerard Baden Clay – was convicted of murdering his wife, Allison Baden-Clay, whose body was found in a creek near Brisbane in 2012. His initial murder conviction was reduced to manslaughter on appeal, but the High Court later reinstated the murder conviction in 2016. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Since Sam’s arrest, Snezana has been spotted in public without her wedding ring. She celebrated her 46th birthday while he was behind bars.
SOURCE LIST
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-08/qld-sam-wood-domestic-violence-court/107239306
https://www.instagram.com/samjameswood/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/snezanawood/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/eve.vict/?hl=en