Latest news with #SternGrove
San Francisco Chronicle
a day ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Michael Franti cancels tour as more sexual abuse allegations surface
Michael Franti has canceled his upcoming tour, including a scheduled Bay Area concert, as accusations of sexual abuse continue to build against the musician. 'This is one of the hardest messages I've ever had to write,' Franti posted on social media Wednesday, Aug. 20. 'Recent events online have left me disheartened and my spirit isn't in the place it needs to be to get on stage and give you the joy and energy you deserve.' The Oakland-born frontman for Spearhead and the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy added, 'The remaining dates on the Welcome to the Family Tour will be canceled. I'm devastated to disappoint you, but I hope you understand that I need this pause to be with my family.' A concert was originally scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 26, at Saratoga's Mountain Winery. Promoter AXS said tickets would be refunded automatically. The tour cancellation comes less than a week after Spanish American singer Victoria Canal alleged in an Instagram post that she was groomed and abused by a 'very powerful' older musician when she was 19. Canal did not name Franti in her Aug. 11 post, but she has previously credited him with discovering her in 2018 and inviting her on tour. Later that same day, Franti, a frequent face at Bay Area festivals such as Stern Grove and BottleRock Napa Valley, took to his Instagram account to acknowledge a romantic relationship with an unnamed artist outside his marriage but denied any abuse. 'The relationship was completely consensual, based on mutual feelings and attraction,' he wrote. Canal described the man as controlling and abusive in private. She alleged that he photographed her without consent and isolated her from others, saying the experience 'plagued my body, spirit, and mind' throughout her 20s. A few days later, Canal shared similar allegations sent to her by Carla Swanson, who co-founded Soulshine yoga resort hotel in Bali with Franti in 2011, and Wyoming musician Makina Kaili. Yet another voice joined the controversy on Wednesday. Writer Minda Lane published a lengthy Substack post recounting her experience with Franti between 2008 and 2017. She described herself as a longtime fan and admitted she initially welcomed his attention but later came to see a troubling pattern of behavior. She claimed that Franti once stripped naked in front of her shortly after they met, later pushed her into sexualized exchanges over webcam and alternated between affectionate and dismissive treatment that left her confused and seeking his approval. Lane also recalled instances she described as public 'misconduct,' including what she said was an appearance at a festival in jeans with 'a hole in the crotch and no underwear.' 'I didn't think of it as being groomed,' Lane wrote. 'Instead, I thought a dream was coming true. I thought I had manifested the experience through the sheer ardor and conviction I carried for his music and his causes. 'What I realize now is that he probably never meant the sweet or complimentary things he said to me,' she continued. 'He only said what he needed to keep me in thrall so I would remain available when he wanted to use me.'
San Francisco Chronicle
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Michael Franti denies abuse allegations after Soulshine cruise canceled
Spearhead frontman Michael Franti has denied allegations of grooming and sexual abuse, but acknowledged a romantic relationship outside his marriage with an artist he worked with. The revelations coincided with the cancellation of his annual Soulshine at Sea concert cruise. '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,' Franti wrote in a statement on Sunday, Aug. 17. 'I vehemently dispute any version of the story that says otherwise.' The Oakland-born musician, a regular attraction at local festivals such as BottleRock Napa Valley and Stern Grove, added: '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.' Franti's statement followed mounting scrutiny after singer-songwriter Victoria Canal alleged in an Instagram post that she had been groomed and sexually abused by a much older, 'very powerful' man in the music industry when she was 19. Canal did not name Franti, but she has previously credited him with discovering her on Instagram in 2018, when she was 19, and inviting her on tour. 'This is something I've never spoken about publicly, and have been holding for eight years now — it has plagued my body, spirit, and mind, in subliminal and overt ways, for my entire 20s,' Canal wrote on Aug. 11, her 27th birthday. She described the man as 'loving, charismatic, and principled' in public, but controlling and abusive in private. 'Behind closed doors, this person has a history of incredibly damaging behavior across the board, and has a team of enablers around him who have fiercely protected his image, perpetuating this behavior for decades,' she wrote. Canal also alleged that he touched and photographed her without consent. 'These behaviors progressed over a year, slowly keeping me more isolated in a highly unfamiliar and contained environment,' Canal wrote. 'At the time, this person made me believe that if I ever told anyone what he was doing, my career would be over before it started.' In the wake of Canal's disclosure, several artists — including ALO, Dispatch, Maggie Rose, Liz Vice and Tank and the Bangas — announced they would no longer participate in the Soulshine at Sea, citing 'deeply concerning allegations.' 'We are actively working to announce a new event that will sail November 4-8, 2025,' the company said, offering ticket holders refunds or future credits.
