Michael Franti dropped by management amid 'troubling' allegations

Musician Michael Franti has reportedly been dropped by his management company, amid a string of cancellations connected to claims of misconduct.

Activist Artists Management dropped Franti, according to Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, as the pop-reggae artist attempts to weather a scandal seemingly brought on by a series of social media posts from singer-songwriter Victoria Canal.

Activist Artists Management did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Earlier this week, Soulshine at Sea 3, an aquatic music festival headlined by Franti, was canceled after an exodus of slated artists. The cruise was intended to sail in November from Miami to Mexico—until artists like Dispatch, Maggie Rose, Hirie, and Liz Vice pulled their performances.

"We've decided we will no longer be performing at Soulshine at Sea. 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 said in an Aug. 16 post on Facebook. "We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding."

Hirie and Vice also referenced "concerning" and "troubling allegations" in their respective social media posts. In a post to Soulshine at Sea's website Aug. 17, event promoter Sixthman referenced "recent events" when confirming the cancellation and promised to unveil a replacement cruise soon.

Franti took to social media shortly after to acknowledge he had "a romantic relationship outside my marriage" with an unnamed artist, an admission seemingly connected to the cancellation.

While neither Franti nor any of the Soulshine performers named the artist, their posts directly followed allegations made on Instagram earlier this month by Canal, who said she had been groomed by a "very powerful, decades older man."

The abuse, the Spanish singer-songwriter alleged, began when she was 19, after she was "plucked" from the internet during her college years, and promised professional opportunities. Canal, 27, went on to allege that this man now enjoys a family-man image and active career, but "has a history of incredibly damaging behavior" behind the scenes and is protected by "a team of enablers."

"This experience, which lasted a little over a year, has had a years-lasting effect on my intimate life," she wrote. "The truth is, I just couldn't carry on hiding this part of me. Hiding from the young women who follow me has felt so painful, and I finally feel so ready to speak on it openly."

Reps for Franti have not responded to USA TODAY's request for comment, including questions on a nonconsensual relationship with Canal.

Canal went on to promise the release of a new song that would address the trauma and explained that she was omitting the name of her alleged accuser for fear of financial and professional harm.

When reached for comment, a rep for Canal said: "It feels very liberating for Victoria to speak on her experience as she continues to heal. She hopes sharing can help young women entering the world of music to keep their eyes open and protect themselves."

Following Canal's posts, Tank and the Bangas, a group slated to tour alongside Franti for the remainder of the summer, also canceled their joint shows, writing on Instagram: "While we are not aware of any specific details related to the matter, in light of the recent post made by the artist, we have made the difficult decision to not participate, until we have a better understanding of the facts."

Franti, in his own lengthy statement posted to Instagram, wrote that while he had had an extramarital affair seven years prior with a fellow musician on his tour, it was entirely "consensual." He did not name Canal. The pair collaborated on 2019's "The Flower" and Canal served as the opener on Franti's tour that same year.

"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. I vehemently dispute any version of the story that says otherwise," Franti wrote. "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."

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support to survivors and their loved ones in English and Spanish at: 800.656.HOPE (4673) and Hotline.RAINN.org and en Español RAINN.org/es.