The Soulshine at Sea 3 music cruise has been canceled after a string of artists pulled out over abuse allegations, and in the midst of the fallout, headliner Michael Franti acknowledged having an extramarital affair with a touring artist seven years ago.
Taking to Instagram over the weekend, Franti described the infidelity as a "regrettable mistake."
"I come here most humbly to share my story with you," he wrote. "7 years ago I had a romantic relationship outside my marriage. It was with an artist who was touring with me. I broke my wedding vows, I broke my wife's trust, I broke her heart and for that I am deeply sorry for the pain my actions have caused."
Franti explained that his wife found out, and "to save my marriage, we ended the relationship."
The unnamed artist remained on tour with him in a professional capacity, and even after the tour concluded, they performed together at a number of additional shows.
Scheduled for Nov. 4-8, Soulshine at Sea 3 was set to feature Michael Franti & Spearhead as headliners on a trip sailing from Miami to Cozumel, Mexico.
Organized by Sixthman and promoted as "Soulshine at Sea 3 With Michael Franti," the cruise had sold out by mid-December 2024. But in recent days, the event unraveled as acts like Dispatch, Maggie Rose, Hirie, and Liz Vice withdrew, leading Sixthman to call off the voyage altogether.
"In light of recent events, the Soulshine at Sea with Michael Franti event scheduled for November 4-8, 2025, is canceled," reads a statement posted to the official Soulshine at Sea's website, noting that plans for a separate event are underway.
The wave of performers pulling out was driven by abuse allegations involving an unidentified artist on the lineup.
In her Instagram stories, Maggie Rose shared, "I've made the decision to no longer perform at Soulshine at Sea. There were some allegations made by a peer of mine about another artist on the lineup and I want to stand in solidarity with her. I hope you understand my decision and I appreciate your support."
A statement from Dispatch echoed her words.
"We've decided we will no longer be performing at Soulshine at Sea," the statement read. "We have been made aware of deeply concerning public allegations involving another artist on the lineup and have chosen to withdraw from the event. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding."
The cancellations come after musician Victoria Canal accused a "very powerful, decades older" man in the music industry of grooming and sexually abusing her when she was 19.
"This is something I've never spoken about publicly, and have been holding for 8 years now — it has plagued my body, spirit, and mind, in subliminal and overt ways, for my entire 20s," she wrote in a statement posted on Instagram on Aug. 11.
While not mentioning his name "because I can't risk the financial loss or emotional terror a lawsuit would bring," Canal wrote that the "experience, which lasted a little over a year, has had a years-lasting effect on my intimate life."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.