LA Prosecutors Charge Body-Shaming Playboy Model

Los Angeles prosecutors charge body-shaming Playboy model

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles prosecutors have charged a Playboy model who took a photo of a naked woman in a gym locker room and posted it to social media with insulting comments about the woman's body.

The city attorney's office said Friday that Dani Mathers faces a misdemeanor count of invasion of privacy. She is scheduled to be arraigned Nov. 28. It wasn't immediately known if Mathers has an attorney.

The 29-year-old faced widespread criticism after she shared the photo on Snapchat in July with the caption: "If I can't unsee this then you can't either." She later apologized and deleted her social media accounts.

The gym, LA Fitness, reported the posting to police and revoked Mathers' membership.

If convicted, Mathers could face up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine, according to City News Service.

Detectives began investigating after the LAPD received a report of "illegal distribution" of the image, police Capt. Andrew Neiman said after the photo became public.

"Her behavior is appalling and puts every member at risk of losing their privacy," Jill Greuling, an LA Fitness executive vice president, said at the time.

The person in the photo was identified only as a 70-year-old woman and it was not clear if she knew she was being photographed.

Mathers said in July that she accidentally posted the photo publicly.

"That was absolutely wrong and not what I meant to do," she said in an online video. "I know that body-shaming is wrong. That is not the type of person I am."

Mathers was Playboy's Miss May in 2014.