Matty J breaks his silence on Sam Wood’s domestic violence charges after backlash over his silence: ‘I feel ashamed I once looked up to him’

By ALI DAHER, SENIOR SHOWBUSINESS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA 22:54 09 Oct 2026, updated 22:54 09 Oct 2026

Former Bachelor star Matty ‘J’ Johnson has broken his silence on the domestic violence allegations against Sam Wood.

Johnson, 39, shared a lengthy statement on Instagram on Friday, admitting he feels ‘ashamed’ that he once regarded the celebrity fitness trainer, 46, as a role model.

He also spoke about the dangers of mistaking a carefully curated public image for someone’s true character.

In his statement, Johnson recalled the first time he laid eyes on Wood, who appeared to have everything he aspired to achieve.

‘I remember the first time I saw Sam Wood. He was stepping out of a flashy European car, dressed sharply, when someone stopped him to ask for a photo,’ he wrote.

‘It was a snapshot of the kind of public profile he had built. It looked to me, at the time, like real success.’

Johnson, who found love with Laura Byrne on the fifth season of The Bachelor in 2017, explained that Wood had initially represented his idea of the perfect family man.

‘At that point in my life, in my late 20’s, I was searching for a benchmark. Someone who seemed to have figured it all out. Someone whose life I could look at and think, That’s the kind of man I want to be.’

However, Johnson was quick to distance himself from suggestions the pair shared a close friendship, despite their appearances together over the years.

‘At this point, I want it to be very clear, I am not and never have been a close friend of Sam’s. We both went on the same TV show, and as a byproduct of that our paths crossed a handful of times.’

He explained that Wood had reached out after his season of The Bachelor aired, offering to catch up whenever Johnson visited Melbourne.

The pair subsequently met, although Johnson insisted their contact remained limited.

‘But, from the outside, Sam appeared to tick every box. A happy marriage, beautiful children, successful businesses and a reputation as a stand-up bloke,’ he continued.

‘He seemed to represent a particular version of masculinity that was easy to admire.’

Matty admitted his perception of Wood had largely been shaped by the seemingly picture-perfect family life he presented on social media.

‘I thought I knew what his life represented. The truth is, like everyone else, I knew very little about the man behind the image.’

The reality TV star said he was shocked when he first learned of the allegations against Wood, who was refused bail on Thursday after being charged with domestic violence offences involving his wife, Snezana.

During the hearing at Maroochydore Magistrates Court, prosecutors alleged Wood pushed his wife into a wardrobe, grabbed her by the throat, threw her against a wall and struck her head against the floor during an incident at the family’s luxury Noosa apartment.

The court heard Snezana feared she was going to die during the alleged attack.

Wood has denied the allegations, with his legal team indicating he intends to defend the charges and may rely on self-defence.

Reflecting on the disturbing claims, Johnson said he struggled to reconcile them with the man he once admired.

‘I cannot imagine what it must have been like for Snez and her daughters to live that horror.’

He then questioned why he had been so shocked, given the prevalence of domestic violence across Australia.

‘I know that domestic violence doesn’t discriminate. But I think I’d naively, like so many of us, allowed myself to believe that I could recognise the type of person who might commit such acts of violence.’

Johnson said the allegations had forced him to reconsider his understanding of success, masculinity and the qualities that make someone a good man.

‘What makes this so confronting isn’t just the gravity of the allegations. It’s how they contradict the image many of us had mistakenly formed of him.’

He added: ‘A reminder that perpetrators don’t always look like perpetrators.’

In perhaps his most striking admission, Johnson revealed he now regretted having once viewed Wood as someone worth emulating.

‘I feel ashamed that I once looked up to Sam as someone I wanted to emulate. I feel deeply for Snezana and her children, who are facing trauma I can only begin to imagine.’

He also urged men to take greater responsibility for challenging harmful attitudes and behaviour among their friends.

‘As men, we have to do more than simply say we’re against domestic violence. We have to look at ourselves.’

Johnson argued that men needed to challenge outdated ideas about masculinity, particularly those that equate strength with control or power over a partner.

He also called on fathers to teach their sons that respect for women must extend beyond public gestures and good manners.

‘We need to teach our boys that respect isn’t simply about how they treat the women they want to impress. It’s about how they treat women when they’re angry, when they’re rejected, and when they feel powerless.’

He concluded his statement with a pointed reflection on the qualities he once associated with Wood’s success.

‘The measure of a man has never been the car he drives, the money he makes or the image he projects to the world. It is how he treats people, and even more so – how he treats people when no one is watching.’

His comments come after the newly crowned Australian Father of the Year faced mounting criticism from fans and fellow reality TV personalities for not publicly addressing the serious charges against his fellow Bachelor alumnus.

Johnson found himself at the centre of an increasingly heated debate over the responsibility of male public figures to speak out against domestic violence.

Earlier this week, activist Instagram account Warrior for Animals singled out Johnson for his apparent silence, contrasting his response with that of fellow Bachelor star Matt Agnew, who had publicly condemned domestic violence.

‘I am being flooded with messages that are praising Matt Agnew from The Bachelor for condemning DV. He is awesome,’ the account wrote.

‘However, there is disappointment that another Matt (Matty J) from Bachelor has decided to go the opposite direction on this…’

The account went on to criticise Johnson for not issuing even a general statement condemning domestic violence, before revealing it had unfollowed him.

The backlash was particularly pointed given Johnson was named the 2026 Australian Father of the Year by The Fathering Project at Admiralty House in Sydney last month.

Some critics questioned whether the prestigious honour was appropriate for someone they believed had failed to use his platform to address such a serious issue.

Former Bachelorette star Angie Kent also weighed in, questioning why high-profile men who promote themselves as family-oriented role models were not speaking out.

‘To profit off a public profile selling the ‘fairytale ending’, talking about and directing everyone else and then hide behind silence when a crisis happens?’ she wrote in a message shared by Warrior for Animals.

‘I hope it’s not about protecting profits because that’s gross. And I hope it’s not about loyalty because no amount of friendship excuses strangling anyone. Ever.’

Kent continued: ‘Having privilege and a platform means using it when it actually matters, not just when it’s convenient or profitable. I hope this isn’t the case.’

However, she acknowledged she did not know Johnson personally and hoped there was an explanation for his apparent silence.

‘But he’s always seemed like a safe and nice enough dude,’ she added.

‘So let’s hope there’s a more solid explanation than fear of losing cash and protecting a mate.’

There is no evidence Johnson’s previous silence was motivated by financial concerns or a desire to protect Wood.

His wife, Laura Byrne, had already addressed the allegations on her popular Life Uncut podcast alongside co-host Brittany Hockley.

Byrne, who shares three children with Johnson, said the allegations highlighted how domestic violence could occur in families regardless of wealth, social standing or public reputation.

‘That for me is enough to form a very strong opinion. I think sometimes domestic violence is quite othered. It happens in other families,’ she said.

‘It happens with people who have alcohol or abuse issues. This is such a clear example that domestic violence can happen no matter your social standing.’

She continued: ‘No matter how much money you have. No matter how elite you are or the profile you’ve built… This to me is just such a clear example of how deep it runs within our culture within Australia and this can exist within every household.’

Johnson’s statement comes as Wood remains behind bars following his arrest at the family’s luxury apartment in the La Mer complex on Noosa’s Hastings Street last Saturday night.

During Thursday’s bail hearing, police prosecutor Sergeant Janette Grigoris told the court Wood’s stepdaughter Eve, 21, had called Triple Zero and reported that her mother had allegedly been choked.

The court heard Snezana told police she had struggled to breathe during the alleged assault and feared her husband was going to kill her.

Prosecutors also alleged Wood’s behaviour had been ‘escalating’, with police revealing they had previously attended a ‘similar’ incident involving the couple in Victoria.

The court heard that earlier incident did not result in a formal complaint.

Photographs of Snezana’s alleged injuries were presented during the hearing, while prosecutors told the court she was living in fear of retribution.

Wood’s solicitor Mathew Cuskelly disputed the prosecution’s version of events, maintaining his client denied strangling or assaulting his wife.

Acting Magistrate Janelle Boegheim ultimately refused bail.

Wood remains entitled to the presumption of innocence, and the allegations against him have not been proven in court.

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