Ms. Jenai said people were punished for challenging the culture. “If you didn’t agree with Greg, you would be ostracized, especially if you were a female,” she said. “For me, the bigger problem than the language is the culture behind it. If you speak out, you’re out. I’ve seen it firsthand, over and over and over.”
The CrossFit spokeswoman said that Ms. Jenai was motivated to lessen the company’s value so she could buy it. The spokesman forwarded an email sent by Ms. Jenai to Matt Holdsworth, CrossFit, Inc.’s chief financial officer, on June 15, less than a week after Mr. Glassman had resigned.
“My interest and intentions are solely based on wanting to help with current issues CrossFit is facing. I do not want to see the company or brand suffer,” Ms. Jenai wrote. “I’m looking at $50M as an offer — or thereabouts. Is this something CrossFit Inc would consider?”
On Saturday morning, Ms. Jenai confirmed this. “I was approached by an investment company who wants to back me in buying CrossFit,” she said. “In people’s minds, including mine, it would be a very elegant solution. I don’t want to see this thing go down the drain. I’ve talked to reporters because if I say nothing I’m complicit. If I talk to people and don’t tell the truth, I’m a liar.”
‘A Metric Ton of Inappropriate Behavior’
CrossFit’s first workouts were held in a garage in Santa Cruz, Calif. The county sheriff’s department was among Mr. Glassman’s earliest clients. The method has been popular among the police and the military, including those assigned to elite teams like Green Berets and Navy Seals, enhancing the fitness program’s credibility.
At the beginning of 2020, there were more than 14,000 affiliate gyms, according to Justin LoFranco, founder of Morning Chalk Up, a newsletter that covers the CrossFit community. Affiliated gyms pay CrossFit, Inc. an annual fee of $3,000 or less.