Model Charged for Taking Body-Shaming Snapchat
Back in July, Playboy playmate Dani Mathers thought it would be funny to stealthily take a photo of a woman changing at her local LA Fitness. “If I can’t unsee this, then you can’t either,” she wrote on Snapchat before posting the image. Mathers rightly received a major backlash for body-shaming, and now she’s facing criminal prosecution. According to the New York Daily News, Mathers has been charged with one count of invasion of privacy.
"Body shaming is humiliating, with often painful, long-term consequences,” Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer wrote in a statement. “It mocks and stigmatizes its victims, tearing down self-respect and perpetuating the harmful idea that our unique physical appearances should be compared to air-brushed notions of 'perfect.’ What really matters is our character and humanity. While body-shaming, in itself, is not a crime, there are circumstances in which invading one's privacy to accomplish it can be. And we shouldn’t tolerate that."
The woman in the photo is reportedly in her 70s and was furious about the photo. She said she wanted Mathers to “feel the full force of the law,” and was willing to testify and cooperate with prosecutors.
Mathers has publicly apologized, saying the photo was meant to be sent privately, but the moment has already cost her a regular radio show hosting job and had her banned from LA Fitness. If convicted, she could face up to six months in prison and a $1,000 fine.
"I’m disappointed that she was charged with any type of violation,” Mathers’s lawyer told TMZ. “She never intentionally violated anyone’s privacy and never tried to break the law at any time."
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