Playboy playmate who body-shamed older woman in gym sentenced to remove graffiti
Dani Mathers secretly took a picture of a naked 70-year-old woman, before sharing it on social media
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Your support makes all the difference.A Playboy model who secretly took a photo of a naked 70-year-old woman in the locker room of a California gym, before sharing it on the Snapchat social media site. has pleaded guilty to invasion of privacy
Dani Mathers, who was voted 'Playmate of the Year' in 2015, was sentenced to 30 days community service — to be spent removing graffiti — and three years probation, the Los Angeles Times reports.
The 30-year-old published the image on her public Snapchat story last summer with the caption: “If I can't unsee this then you can't either”. It lead to accusations of body shaming.
But it soon became apparent she had also broken the law. It is illegal in California to secretly photograph another identifiable person in a changing room without their consent.
The offence carries a maximum sentence of up to six-months imprisonment and a $1,000 (£750) fine.
Shortly after the photograph was posted, the Los Angeles Police Department received a report of “illegal distribution” of the image and launched an investigation.
Initially the model pleaded not guilty, but her attorney, Dana Cole, told the LA Times she changed her mind.
“I think she wanted to be done with this and accept responsibility for what occurred,” he said.
Ms Mathers previously attempted to avoid jail time by offering to apologise to the victim, undergo counselling, and take an anti-bullying course. The judge declined, citing lack of remorse.
“She should face the consequences of her cruel and criminal act,“ the Los Angeles City attorney's office said at the time.
Ms Mathers was also banned from all LA Fitness gyms.
Shortly after posting the photo Ms Mathers claimed it was an “accident” and that she had meant to send it as a private message.
“It was absolutely wrong and not what I meant to do,” she said. “I chose to do what I do for a living because I love the female body, and I know body shaming is wrong.”
She later tweeted that she had “never body shamed a person in my life."
In a statement issued after Ms Mathers’ sentence, City Attorney Mike Feuer said the message was clear that “body shaming is not tolerated in the city of Los Angeles.”
He added: “The issues that surround body shaming can be devastating — not only to daughters and mothers, but also sons and fathers, LGBT people, to a trans kid who might be struggling with identity, to people who are disabled."
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