Let’s face it: the communal changing rooms at the gym are one of modern life’s true nightmares. The desperate struggle back into your jeans (which you feel should be at least slightly baggy given the force with which you just hit the treadmill) whilst attempting to cover slightly too wobbly bits with one hand, always somehow inexplicably next to a toned, bronzed fitness goddess. Not a pleasant part of anyone’s day.
Cast your mind back to July, then, when 2015 ‘Playmate of the Year’ Dani Mathers uploaded a naked photo of a fellow gym user to Snapchat, captioned ‘If I can’t unsee this then you can’t either’, spliced with a photo of herself apparently giggling behind her hand. Incredibly intrusive, and just downright nasty.
Understandably, Dani faced a huge backlash as social media roared to the defence of the woman.
She was also banned from all LA Fitness gyms, with executive vice president of operations Jill Greuling telling the LA Times ‘her behaviour is appalling and puts every member at risk of losing their privacy.’
Now though, the Los Angeles Police Department have tracked down the victim, who is said to be in her 70s, (I hope I’m still hitting the gym in my 70s), and she’s fully willing to co-operate with the police to see Mathers brought to justice.
The case is currently being reviewed by the L.A City Attorney, but the charge is likely to be Dissemination of Private Images, meaning Dani could face six months imprisonment. A far cry from the Playboy Mansion.
Mathers took to social media almost immediately afterwards to apologise for posting the snap, but many dismissed her as insincere.
Body shaming is poisonous. Body shaming people in a private environment, where they’re trying to live a healthy lifestyle, is even more toxic. Perhaps re-branding it as a criminal offence will finally ram that message home.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.