Los Angeles police were investigating after a Playboy model took a photo of a naked woman in a gym locker room and posted it to social media with insulting comments about the woman’s body, authorities said.
Dani Mathers, who was awarded Playmate of the Year by Playboy magazine in 2015, took to Snapchat to take a photograph of a naked woman at the gym and captioned it, “If I can’t unsee this, then you can’t either.” Moments later, she added a picture of herself laughing.
Backlash
Her actions invited criticism from many quarters. While many spoke about the every-body-is-a-wonderland feminist discourse, others took a practical approach on ethics and privacy.
In addition to being prohibited from entering any branch of the LA Fitness gym chain, she has been suspended indefinitely from a longtime radio show called The Heidi and Frank Show on Los Angeles’s 95.5 KLOS. She may face criminal charges and upto six months of jail, if the victim speaks up. Under the law, it’s illegal to distribute an image of the “intimate body part or parts” of another person “without the consent of or knowledge of that other person.”
Dani’s Apology
Mathers took to social media to apologise for her actions. She said that she knew that body-shaming is wrong and that it was not the type of person she is.
Women make my world go round, I have nothing short of respect for women, I surround myself with women and work hard at empowering our community... and I completely understand how terrible this was and is.Dani Mathers
She said that the message sent was supposed to be a private one. She profusely apologised and deleted all her social media accounts to reflect on what she did.
The lesson to be learnt from this entire fiasco is that nobody should be taken lightly, that your celebrity status does not provide you any immunity, and that social media can create solidarity rather than alienation.
(With inputs from AP)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)