A comedian has alleged that people have sex in F45 gyms before an audience member took it further by claiming they knew someone who attended a post-workout orgy at one of the franchises.
New Zealand stand-up comedian Joe Daymond posted a TikTok video asking his audience if they had heard “what’s happening” at F45. “People are f***ing,” he said.
There are voices from the audience shouting ‘it’s true’ and ‘that’s right’.
A female voice then chimed in to say she knows someone whose boyfriend was a trainer and “had an orgy at the End of Challenge party.”
Challenges are group routines of intense 45-minute workouts to be completed over an eight-week period and parties are sometimes held to celebrate their completion.
After repeating the story for those unable to hear, Daymond asked the audience “which specific F45 organized the orgy.”
He quickly made it clear that he wasn’t asking seriously, but “as a joke.” However, he invited people to leave their F45 stories in the comments on the video.
One person claimed that the orgy had taken place in a suburb of Auckland and that they had been there.
Another confirmed that F45s did indeed have a different type of training available. “I have heard from many (people) that it is like that there,” they said.
A number of people reacted with amusement to the alleged revelation. “For the price you pay, there should be some extras,” one person wrote.
A number of people said they would like to get to the particular F45 in question or ironically asked which one it was so they could ‘avoid it’, as it played on some suspicious minds.
“Everyone is watching their partners go to F45 – ahhh I’m calling to cancel my partner’s membership,” one person wrote.
“Well, their share price had crashed, so they had to rethink that business model,” said another.
The OThe once thriving global fitness empire founded by Australians Adam Gilchrist and Rob Deutsch has seen its share price on the New York Stock Exchange fall from $23 when it was listed in July 2021 to just 75 cents.
The outlook for the franchise chain deteriorated further over the weekend as it had to tell the US financial regulator, the Securities Exchange Commission, that it underreported its losses for the past two fiscal years.
F45 blamed accounting issues, saying they affect fourth quarter fiscal 2021 numbers through the March quarter of this year’s financial report.
The magnitude of the errors and any resulting adjustments is not yet known as the company’s analysis is not yet complete, but the company expects net loss for the non-dependent periods to increase significantly as a result of these changes. an F45 spokesperson said.
Hollywood star Mark Wahlberg was an early American investor in F45 and remains involved with the company
F45 previously reported a $274 million loss for fiscal year 2021, but said it won’t file revised financial statements until August
The company, which was built on the claimed benefits of a 45-minute intense workout, says it is resolving internal issues following a purge of board members.
“Management continues to assess the effect of any reformulations on the company’s internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures,” a spokesperson said.
The newly admitted financial reporting errors date back to when Mr. Gilchrist was involved with the company before he stepped down as CEO in July 2022.
Mr. Gilchrist pocketed a $10 million golden handshake as nearly half of the company’s employees, 110 in all, lost their jobs due to the newfound financial hardship.
Hollywood actor Mark Wahlberg, who was invested in the company ahead of its $2 billion IPO on the New York Stock Exchange, will continue as director.
F45 co-founder Adam Gilchrist (pictured Wahlberg at the 2021 New York IPO) left the company shortly after it went public
F45 was valued at $2 billion when it floated on the New York Stock Exchange, but its share price has fallen from $23 when it listed in July 2021 to just 75 cents
Mr Deutsch, who says he has not spoken to Mr Gilchrist in years, left the company in 2020 and has dismissed the public listing as something that was ‘definitely not in the best interest of the company’.
He also described paying “old-time actors and athletes like David Beckham” to promote the brand as “an epic fail.”
Beckham and former professional golfer Greg Norman sued the company in a lawsuit in the US, claiming they owe a combined $22.5 million for their promotion of the brand.
Meanwhile, several class actions have been launched in the US alleging that the company misled investors about its finances and operations.
In Australia, desperate F54 owners have soldered their franchises at discounted prices with one listing on anybusiness.com.au for a paltry $50,000.
Nearly 10 percent of Australia’s roughly 500 F45 gyms are on the market, according to an ABC report in April.
Branded F45 sports equipment is sold by struggling owners on Facebook Marketplace
Since July, nine Australian F45 gyms have gone bankrupt, with some creditors owing hundreds of thousands of dollars while some customers are out of pocket.
Branded F45 fitness equipment has appeared on Facebook Marketplace.
Everything from Dumbbells and kettlebells to spin bikes and foam mats are up for grabs, with discounts available for those who buy in bulk.