Inside the ‘very tense’ encounter paparazzi witnessed between Sam Wood and wife Snezana before troubling photos emerged – as court hears allegations of his ‘escalating’ behaviour

Previous sightings of Snezana Wood arguing with husband Sam have come under fresh scrutiny after allegations of a ‘similar’ DV incident in Victoria were aired during his Queensland bail hearing.

The mother of four was pictured with Wood, whom she met on the 2015 season of The Bachelor, in Melbourne’s affluent bayside suburb of Brighton on February 2, 2024, during an encounter witnessed firsthand by a photographer.

The paparazzo confirmed to the Daily Mail they witnessed the couple arguing outside the supermarket before taking photos of them later during a ‘very tense moment’.

The argument itself was not captured, only its aftermath.

In the troubling photos, which the Daily Mail published on February 6 that year, Snezana stood beside a parked vehicle with her arms tightly folded across her chest. Moments later, the couple embraced.

Unlike other paparazzi sets of celebrities, the images were not staged and offered a rare candid look at cracks emerging in the couple’s seemingly perfect facade.

The following year, Snezana was photographed twice with what appeared to be marks on her face and neck. 

The pictures of the couple’s argument resurfaced after a Queensland court heard this week that police had previously attended a ‘similar’ domestic violence-related incident involving the Woods in Victoria.

Victoria Police would not confirm to the Daily Mail if they had attended any DV-related complaints concerning the Woods due to privacy considerations.

Speaking to the Daily Mail on Friday, a photographer who captured Snezana around 2024-5 recalled initially assuming she had undergone a minor medical procedure when he noticed a bandage on her neck.

‘I remember very clearly sending out the bandage set [to news outlets] at the time, because we assumed she’d had a little skin cancer or mole or something cut out of her neck,’ they said.

‘At the time, she posted on Instagram some photos of her and the girls promoting ovarian cancer awareness (in those Camilla and Marc T-shirts) and she had the bandage on her neck in the photos.

‘Everyone in the comments was asking what had happened to her neck and if she was okay, and I went through every comment because I thought she might write back saying she’d had minor surgery but she didn’t respond to a single comment.’

Extraordinary allegations were aired at Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Thursday, where Wood was refused bail. 

Police prosecutor Sergeant Janette Grigoris told the court there had been a ‘previous’ incident in Victoria that was ‘similar in nature’ to the alleged domestic violence incident in Noosa.

The court heard police had been called to the earlier incident, but the matter did not proceed after the alleged victim did not make a complaint.

Sgt Grigoris also alleged Wood’s behaviour had been ‘escalating’.

In her video statement, recorded on the weekend, Snezana alleged the earlier incident in Victoria was similar and involved alleged choking and being thrown against the floor and a wall at their home.

Sgt Grigoris said evidence of the alleged Victorian incident would be admissible under recent law changes.

Wood was refused bail after prosecutors outlined allegations surrounding an incident at the family’s $3,000-a-night beachfront apartment at the exclusive La Mer complex on Noosa’s Hastings Street.

The former Bachelor star has been charged with assault occasioning bodily harm in a domestic setting and strangulation in a domestic setting.

During Thursday’s hearing, prosecutors alleged Wood’s stepdaughter Eve, 21, called Triple Zero and reported that her mother had been choked.

Sgt Grigoris told the court Snezana had described being choked, banging her head on the floor and struggling to breathe.

The alleged incident only ended when one of the couple’s children called out, the court heard.

Photographs of injuries allegedly sustained during the Noosa incident were shown to the magistrate.

The prosecution also claimed Snezana was now living in fear of retribution from her husband.

Wood’s solicitor, Mathew Cuskelly, told the court his client denied assaulting or strangling Snezana.

The court heard the celebrity fitness trainer may rely on self-defence if the charges proceed to trial.

His application for bail was refused, meaning he will remain in custody while the criminal proceedings continue.

The allegations have rocked the seemingly picture-perfect marriage of one of Australia’s most recognisable reality television couples.

The Woods first captured the nation’s attention when they fell in love on The Bachelor in 2015, before tying the knot in a romantic Byron Bay ceremony three years later.

The couple have since built a multimillion-dollar fitness and wellness empire while raising their blended family in Melbourne.

They share three daughters, Willow, Charlie and Harper, while Sam is stepfather to Snezana’s eldest daughter Eve.

But behind their carefully curated social media presence, Sam previously admitted the couple had struggled with relationship tensions and sought professional counselling.

Speaking on a Mamamia parenting podcast in April 2025, he described their home life during the Covid lockdowns as a ‘pressure-cooker environment’.

‘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 explained that disagreements over parenting had put additional strain on their marriage, particularly during Eve’s teenage years.

‘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.

He also admitted he had initially been reluctant when Snezana suggested couples counselling.

‘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 recalled.

However, Wood said his attitude eventually changed and he came to appreciate the sessions, describing counselling as a calming and vulnerable experience.

The couple’s Queensland holiday came to an abrupt end on Saturday night when police and paramedics descended on their luxury beachfront accommodation.

Neighbouring guests described seeing emergency services arrive at the property before Wood was questioned by police at approximately 9pm.

One witness recalled seeing a woman being taken away by paramedics. Wood was subsequently arrested and taken to Maroochydore watchhouse.

On Monday, the couple issued an identical statement through their respective Instagram accounts.

‘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.

The allegations have already had significant consequences for Wood’s business interests.

DBG Health, which purchased his 28 by Sam Wood fitness platform as part of a $71million deal in 2022, announced he had been placed on indefinite leave.

The company later cut ties with him altogether. 

The decision also affects his involvement with women’s weight-loss platform Ollo for Women, which he had been promoting just months earlier.

Sam remains in custody and denies the criminal allegations against him.

The charges remain before the courts.