Inside the marriage counselling Sam and Snezana Wood sought for their 'pressure cooker' relationship before domestic violence charges

Sam Wood and wife Snezana were having marriage counselling in the years before he was arrested over an alleged domestic violence incident on Saturday.

The former Bachelor star, 46, revealed in April last year that he and Snezana, 46, saw a therapist together to work out relationship issues, referring to their home life as a 'pressure cooker environment'. 

During a parenting podcast interview with Mamamia, he claimed tensions between the pair came to a head during the Covid pandemic.

'Everyone thinks, "Oh, you guys have got it all worked out." We don't have it worked out. We are a dog's breakfast. It's a madhouse, and it's stressful, and we're exhausted and we're probably like everybody else,' he said.

Wood went on to say Instagram doesn't portray the whole truth of their family life behind closed doors, adding that his relationship with Snezana and Eve, her daughter from a previous relationship, was put to the test during the lockdowns six years ago.

He claimed stepdaughter Eve, now 21, 'was working herself out' as a teenager, adding that 'she was pretty challenging' during the ages of 14, 15 and 16.  

'So it was a pressure-cooker environment and I thought she needed more discipline, and Snez didn't, and that put a strain on our relationship. And we do butt heads a lot on boundaries and what they need,' he said.

Wood added that he was resistant when Snezana brought up the idea of couples counselling, saying he 'got defensive as soon as it was suggested'.  

'I was like, "But what's wrong with us? Why do we need that? What do we need to fix?" I didn't go kicking and screaming, but I wasn't rapt in the idea, even walking in the door,' he said. 

However, Wood went on to say he then 'flipped over time' and began to see marriage counselling as a 'calming' and 'vulnerable' experience.

Snezana welcomed eldest daughter Eve in 2005 with ex-husband Jason Rapoff.

Reports indicated father and daughter were estranged for years, but on Tuesday Rapoff told the Mail he was back in contact with Eve after Saturday's alleged incident.

The rift between Eve and Jason, 46, began long before she and her mother left Western Australia to begin a new life with Wood in Melbourne.

Jason had married Snezana in January 2005, shortly after his release from a 12-month prison sentence for possession of methamphetamine and two firearms.

The marriage was blighted early on when Jason, a former state junior motocross champion, broke his back in a dirt bike accident at his family's farm in Bindoon.

The accident left him paraplegic, and he would later tell the Herald Sun in 2015 he went into a 'downhill spiral' and pushed away his loved ones, including his daughter.

Jason and Snezana split six months after his life-changing crash. Eve was just two months old at the time.

Snezana went on to welcome three more daughters with Wood: Willow, eight, Charlie, seven, and Harper, four.

The resurfaced interview comes after neighbours at a $3,000-a-night luxury holiday villa where Wood allegedly committed domestic violence offences recalled the frantic moments emergency services descended on the Noosa beach property.

The Daily Mail can reveal the alleged incident involving Wood occurred at La Mer on Noosa's premium Hastings Street beachside strip.

Wood, a multi-millionaire businessman and former reality star, was allegedly staying at the property with Snezana and the three children they share.

Snezana's daughter Eve was also at the property.

Neighbouring guests, who did not want to be named, told the Mail they first became aware something was wrong when police and paramedics arrived at the complex on Saturday night.

One guest said she had not heard any disturbance beforehand but saw a woman let paramedics into the Woods' apartment.

A woman was later taken away by paramedics.

The guest also witnessed Wood being questioned by police at about 9pm before he was arrested and taken to Maroochydore watchhouse.

'Police have charged a 46-year-old Victorian man with domestic violence offences early this morning, 4 October,' a police spokesperson said.

'The man has been charged with assault occasioning bodily harm (domestic violence) and strangulation in a domestic setting.'

Another two witnesses told the Mail they saw police and an ambulance outside La Mer 'after dinner in the late evening'.

A male guest said he had seen the Woods at the apartment during their stay but did not witness any altercations or arguments.

Another female guest said Wood's youngest child had sleepwalked and left the room during the family's stay.

She said the family packed up and left their apartment later that night after Wood was taken away by police.

The Daily Mail can also reveal he failed to front Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Monday morning due to mental health concerns.

The matter was instead dealt with by his lawyer, Mathew Cuskelly.

Mr Cuskelly asked for the case to be re-listed on Thursday, when Wood is expected to apply for bail.

The fitness trainer will remain in the local watchhouse until the case is back in court.

Mr Cuskelly said Wood intends to defend the charges.

Wood and Snezana, who met on The Bachelor in 2015, publicly addressed the allegations together on Monday morning.

'This is a difficult time for all of us, we are working through this as a family and are thoroughly co-operating with the authorities,' they said, sharing the statement on both of their Instagram accounts.

Wood's social media follower count has also fallen dramatically, dropping by thousands amid the allegations.

The multimillion-dollar wellness businesses fronted by Wood has also stood him down from his roles.

Wood founded fitness business 28 by Sam Wood, which he sold to DBG Health for $71million in 2022 while remaining the face of the online platform under its new owner.

'DBG Health, the parent company of 28 by Sam Wood, has zero tolerance for domestic violence,' a DBG Health spokesperson said.

'While the matter is under investigation and before the court, Sam Wood is on indefinite leave from his duties. Our thoughts are with the family and anyone in the community affected by domestic violence.

'Mark Watkins, 28 Group's Chief Operating Officer, will be leading the business in Sam Wood's absence.'

The move also affects Wood's role with Ollo For Women, a medical weight-loss business also owned by DBG Health.

Wood was announced as the face of the newly launched platform just four months ago, promoting its medical weight-loss, nutrition and tele-health services.

The business is aimed at women aged 40 and over, with Wood appearing prominently across its promotional campaigns.

He remains the owner of The Woodshed gym in Melbourne.

The arrest happened on the same weekend that Wood announced a social media 'comeback'.

'The comeback is personal. It's an apology to myself,' the post, shared on Instagram on Sunday, read.

Wood added in the accompanying caption: 'I see transformations every day and everyone's driving "why" is different.

'You don't want to beat yourself up about what is in the past, but you can definitely gain strength and motivation for the future.'

With the reality TV personality behind bars, it is likely the post was pre-scheduled to be shared on Sunday.

The fitness entrepreneur married Snezana in an outdoor ceremony in Byron Bay in 2018.

The celebrity trainer funnelled his Bachelor fame into building his highly successful fitness empire.

Wood came under scrutiny in November 2025 after it emerged the Australian Taxation Office was pursuing him for more than $7million in unpaid taxes.

The tax office's Deputy Commissioner launched civil proceedings against Wood in October, seeking allegedly unpaid amounts relating to three consecutive financial years ending June 30, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

A recent court update shows the dispute was resolved by agreement, with the case dismissed without adjudication in September.