SoulCycle attempts to distance itself from Trump-supporting owner with new initiative

The SoulCycle team is pedaling furiously to combat the backlash it has faced after the public learned that one of its investors is a prominent Trump supporter.

Billionaire Stephen Ross is the chairman and majority owner of the Related Companies, which has several subsidiaries including Equinox Fitness, which is the parent company of SoulCycle. It was revealed this week that Ross is planning a large Hamptons fundraiser for Donald Trump's 2020 presidential campaign.

After news of Ross' active support for Trump broke, many members of Equinox and SoulCycle — including Chrissy Teigen and Billy Eichner — were outspoken online, pledging to boycott the brands and demanding that their memberships be refunded.

Both companies have tried to distance themselves from Ross, but the connection remains a hot topic of discussion. In response to the controversy, SoulCycle CEO Melanie Whelan announced a new charity initiative in a company-wide letter on Friday, which was also posted on their blog.

"To Our Soul Fam," the post began, "In this difficult week for our community, we’ve been reflecting on how to move forward stronger and more united than ever."

Whelan went on to say the company was "hurt by the decision of one of our investors." And says they do not support it. She explained:

"Starting this month, we’re inviting every one of our more than 350 instructors to teach a community ride for a cause of their choice. We want to give our instructors, studio teams, and local communities a platform to promote whatever cause is true in their heart. This is not a requirement. This is an invitation—an invitation to create a conversation and provide support to the causes that matter most to the communities we serve."

The rides will be offered free to riders and instructors will be paid for their time, but SoulCycle will donate all proceeds from these classes to "the social justice causes our instructors and studio teams select."

Whelan added, "This is not the only answer. But it’s our answer for today, so our community can start to heal."

It remains to be seen whether this effort will be enough to stop the company from losing riders or whether it will be too little, too late.