LAIST BY JULIET BENNETT RYLAH ON JUL 14, 2016 12:35 PM
The Snapchat (Photo via Snapchat/TMZ)
Dani Mathers, 2015 Playmate on the Year, exposed herself as a cruel, shallow individual with a single Snapchat, then made the raging dumpster fire equivalent of an apology.For 29-year-old Dani Mathers, having a conventionally attractive body is her job. She’s a model. So, it’s not particularly surprising to learn she was at the gym the other day. What is surprising is that she decided to take a photo of a nude woman in the locker room without the woman’s consent, and then broadcast the image via Snapchat with the caption, “If I can’t unsee this then you can’t either.”
Naturally, Mathers’ followers responded by telling her she was a garbage human. Internet outrage being a swift machine, it appears Mathers has already deleted or made private her Twitter and Instagram accounts. Mathers also attempted to apologize by claiming her invasion of an unsuspecting woman’s privacy and subsequent middle school behavior was “an accident,” TMZ reports.
I just wanted to acknowledge a photo that I accidentally posted on Snapchat earlier today and let you guys know that that was absolutely wrong and not what I meant to do. I have chosen to do what I do for a living because I love the female body, and I know that body shaming is wrong and that’s not what I’m about. That’s not the type of person that I am. That photo was taken to be part of a personal conversation with a girlfriend and because I am new to Snapchat, I really didn’t realize that I had posted it and that was a huge mistake. I know that I have upset a lot of people out there but please, please believe me when I say this is not the type of person I am, I’ve never done this before, I will never do this again, you have my word.
No, ya dingus! No one is mad that this appeared on your public timeline instead of within a private conversation. They’re mad you did this in the first place, not that you’re some kind of Snapchat neophyte. All this apology indicates is that behind closed doors, you are, in fact, a garbage person.
The photo tells us everything we need to know. Mathers is clearly in a separate room, sneakily taking a photo of a nude woman through a glass door, like a creepy peeping Tom. The woman is in a locker room shower, a place where nudity is expressly allowed and should be expected. I don’t know about other facilities, but at gyms I’ve attended, there are numerous signs telling people not to be on their phones in the locker room specifically so that no one is taking or suspected of taking photos of naked or partially nude adults or children. Also, this is a gym, a place where people go to work out, relieve stress, get healthier and improve their physique. Zero places should be locations for bodyshaming—especially the gym!
It’s also illegal. According to the Video Voyeurism Act of 2004, a person who “has the intent to capture an image of a private area of an individual without their consent, and knowingly does so under circumstances in which the individual has a reasonable expectation of privacy, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.” A reasonable expectation of privacy would refer to someone’s home, hotel room, or, you know, a gym locker room.
In an interview with Busted in 2014, Mathers seemed totally chill about nudity, saying she’d seen her first Playboy at age 4.
“My parents had family friends who were nudists. We’d go over to their house all the time, and they always had Playboy magazines laying around. It wasn’t a big deal; when everyone is naked it’s less of an issue.”
I think we all have the capacity to be jerks. We’ve all been a little mean. The good news is that we have the opportunity to grow up and understand how our actions can hurt other people. So, good luck with that.
Oddly enough, according to National Day Calendar, today is National Nude Day. Be free (within the parameters of the law), my friends!
Update, 4 p.m.: A spokesperson for L.A. Fitness, where the alleged incident took place, told TMZ that they find Mathers’ behavior “appalling” and says it “puts every member’s privacy at risk. We have handled this internally and also notified the police.” L.A. Fitness also confirmed to the outlet that cellphones and taking photos are not allowed in their facilities’ locker rooms.
