Former playmate and nude model, Dani Mathers is certainly not new to the spotlight. While her titles as “CyberGirl of the Month” at Playboy in January 2013, “Playmate of the Month” in May 2014, and “Playmate of the Year” in 2015 have all earned her name in the press, it was her most recent actions that have landed her publicity—and not for good reasons. In July of 2016, the 30-year-old secretly took a Snapchat of a 71-year-old nude woman in the LA Fitness gym locker room. Along with the photograph, Mathers wrote the caption “ If I can’t unsee this then you can’t either,” followed by a selfie of Mathers with a disgusted expression. Shortly after the picture was posted, Mathers’ actions were publicly condemned on social media, and eventually led to criminal charges being brought against her in the fall. On Wednesday, the former playmate
Shortly after the picture was posted, Mathers’ actions were publicly condemned on social media, and eventually led to criminal charges being brought against her in the fall. On Wednesday, the former playmate plead no contest to invasion of privacy in relation to the Snapchat. In the Los Angeles County Superior Court, the judge sentenced Mathers to three years’ probation as well as thirty days spent scrubbing graffiti around the city of Los Angeles. Had the case gone to trial, the model faced up to six months in jail along with a $1,000 fine. However, the closely followed case portrayed an evident message about the city of Los Angeles: body shaming is not to be accepted in the community. The Los Angeles
Had the case gone to trial, the model faced up to six months in jail along with a $1,000 fine. However, the closely followed case portrayed an evident message about the city of Los Angeles: body shaming is not to be accepted in the community.
The Los Angeles City Attorney, Mike Feuer, who handled the case stated, “the issues that surround body shaming can be devastating – not only to daughters and mothers, but also to sons and fathers, members of the LGBTQ community, to a trans kid who might be struggling with identity, to people who are disabled. The message today is clear: body shaming is not tolerated in the City of Los Angeles.”
It is evident that Feuer believes this case carries an important message, as well as a lesson for all incidents of body-shaming. Simultaneously, the attorney hopes Mathers’ actions will prevent others from doing the same in the future. Mathers deleted her social media accounts, apologized, and made excuses for her actions, saying the photograph was meant to be sent privately to a friend. She mentioned that she knew “that body-shaming is wrong. That is not the type of person I am.” The ex-playmate also stated, “I’ve chosen to do what I do for a living because I love the female body.” However, her statements didn’t change the backlash she received as a result of her actions.
The LA Fitness gyms were informed of the incident, reported her to the police, then immediately banned the model from all of their gyms, 800 to be exact. On social media, a Twitter user stated, “#DaniMathers is the kind of ugly Photoshop can’t fix.” In fact, the state of California law states that “with the intent to invade the privacy of a person,” camera usage is considered a misdemeanor. In addition, the distribution of someone’s “intimate body part or parts” without consent is barred from distribution. Thankfully, the identity of the woman Mathers photographed was never released to the public, but she was clearly horrified when she discovered the picture. The state of California is using this case to aid their actions in passing a bill that will further the punishment for those who participate in the distribution of photos or videos without a person’s consent. In the world of technology today, increased measures are needed to ensure the safety of every individual in the community as well as their reputation and well-being.
