Franti’s upcoming Soulshine at Sea cruise was canceled as well, days after singer Victoria Canal came forward with allegations of grooming and abuse.
By Ethan MillmanPlus Icon
Michael Franti is no longer a client at Activist Artist Management, a source familiar with the matter confirms to The Hollywood Reporter, as the singer faces allegations of sexual misconduct from fellow singer Victoria Canal.
Canal first came forward with her claims on Aug. 11 in an Instagram post, withholding Franti’s name but alleging that Franti had groomed her and took pictures of her without her consent when she was 19 years old.
“He appears to be loving, charismatic, and principled,” Canal wrote. “However, 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.”
Days later, Canal shared a follow-up post that contained screenshots from more women who came forward to her with similar allegations against him.
Franti has built up a devout audience over his decades-long career and is best-known for his double-platinum single “Say Hey (I Love You).” In an Instagram post of his own this week, Franti denied the allegations of sexual misconduct but confirmed he had “a romantic relationship outside my marriage” that he said was “completely consensual, based on mutual feelings and attraction.”
“I vehemently dispute any version of the story that says otherwise,” Franti said. “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.”
Billboard first confirmed Activist’s split with Franti. Representatives for Franti didn’t respond to THR’s request for comment.
The departure from Activist comes as Franti’s upcoming third Soulshine at Sea cruise was canceled this week, as several artists including Maggie Rose and Dispatch decided to pull out of the event because the claims.
“We have been made aware of deeply concerning public allegations involving another artist on the lineup and have chosen to withdraw from the event,” Dispatch wrote on Instagram. “We are sorry for the inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding.
