Los Angeles police were investigating a former Playboy Playmate of the year Sunday for alleged “illegal distribution” of a photo she took of a naked woman in a Playa Vista gym locker room along with a derogatory caption that she later posted on Snapchat.
Quoting LAPD Capt. Andrew Nieman, LAPD spokesman Officer Mike Lopez told City News Service the “department received a report of illegal distribution of the image and detectives were looking into the matter. L.A. Fitness reported the posting to police”
The image taken at an LA Fitness gym on Lincoln Boulevard in Playa Vista was posted by 29-year-old Dani Mathers, the 2015 Playboy Playmate of the Year, who also posted the message, “If I can’t unsee this then you can’t either.”
In the photo, the woman’s face is turned away from the camera. Mathers also posted a selfie along side the naked photo, in which she has one hand over mouth as if to stifle a laugh.
Police initially were not involved in an investigation, but that apparently has changed.
In addition to any possible police action, the backlash to the incident from anyone involved or anyone hearing about the incident was overwhelming and immediate.
The gym issued a statement decrying the taking and posting of the photo as “appalling,” saying it threatens privacy, violates company rules against cellphone usage and photography and goes against “common decency.”
Mathers has now been banned from all LA Fitness locations.
“I think it’s shameful because people who are going to the gym, they’re doing it to be better and healthy,” Jessica Chavez told KCAL9 outside the facility.
Tess Holiday posted a Twitter message that read, “Dani Mathers it must be nice to be so perfect that you feel like you can publicly shame other bodies. Please educate yourself.”
One of Mathers’ followers zinged her on social media with a post that read, “@DaniMathers your ugliness cannot be unseen now.”
These were followed by a host of Twitter messages from others slamming the model for her despicable behavior.
Mathers then posted a string of apologies, claiming she was new to Snapchat and uploaded the image by mistake.
“I want to acknowledge my post from snapchat earlier. There is no excuse…I understand fully the magnitude of this post and I have hurt a lot of people, women. Body shaming is not okay and is nothing to joke about…”
Then she wrote, “This was meant to be a part of a private conversation that never should have happened. There are no words to describe how deeply sorry I am for hurting and offending you all. Women make my world go around. I surround myself with women and I completely understand the magnitude of this post.
“Please, please know this mistake has truly made me realize that something that can seem silly in a private conversation isn’t unnecessary… Should never make light of another woman’s naked body. I’m sorry for what I did… I need to take some time to myself now to reflect on why I did this horrible thing. Goodnight.”
Mathers has since deleted her Snapchat and Twitter accounts.
— City News Service