Playmate pleads not guilty in body-shaming case

LOS ANGELES: A Playboy model pleaded not guilty yesterday to a charge of invasion of privacy over a picture she secretly took and posted on social media of a nude 70year-old woman at a gym.

Dani Mathers ( pix), who was the magazine’s 2015 Playmate of the Year, faces up to six months in jail and up to a US$1,000 (RM4,500) fine over the picture that she posted on Snapchat in July, drawing a storm of criticism.

The photo showed the naked woman from behind at a Los Angeles area fitness centre with a mocking caption that read: “If I can’t unsee this then you can’t either.”

A lawyer for Mathers, who did not appear in court yesterday, said his 29-year-old client felt bad about her actions.

“She very much regrets what happened,” Tom Mesereau said outside the courthouse.

“She apologised for her behaviour and we’re looking forward to resolving this case in a very fair manner.”

Mathers was banned from LA Fitness gyms after the incident that sparked a public outcry and raised questions about body shaming, especially on social media.

She also reportedly lost her job on a radio talk show.

“Body shaming is humiliating, with often painful, long-term consequences,” prosecutor Mike Feuer said when the misdemeanour charge of invasion of privacy was filed this month. – AFP