Playboy Model Dani Mathers Will Stand Trial for Body Shaming Pensioner On Social Media

Model will stand trial for secretly photographing an elderly woman in gym shower and posting it online in 2016.

The news comes after a last minute attempt by the Playboy model’s attorneys arguments to dismiss the gharges against her, was batted aside as ‘illogical,’ and ‘vague.’ Mathers is now due to attend court in the next few weeks. The photo, posted to Snapchat included the following derogatory comment about the 70-year-old woman’s body: “If I can’t unsee this then you can’t either.”

The infamous now deleted Snap from 2016.

Didn’t mean to make it public

Mathers, the 2015 Playboy Playmate of the year originally claimed she had not meant to make the photo public, but the Los Angeles Police Department found the elderly victim, who consented to charges being brought up against the 29-year-old ‘bunny.’ If convicted, Mathers could face up to 6 months in jail and/or a $1000 fine, and not the $1m figure that was routinely reported last year. (My bad, I did it too. 🙁 )

Invasion of privacy

Mathers was charged with misdemeanor invasion of privacy, a Californian State law that prohibits the secret recording or photographing of an ‘identifiable person… in a home, changing room or tanning booth without the subject’s consent.’

Mathers’ attorneys had tried to have the charges dropped by claiming the image of the 70-year-old woman was grainy and the person in it, not identifiable. LA Deputy City Attorney Chadd Kim scoffed at the defense and claimed it was for a jury to decide. Judge Gustavo Sztraicher agreed, saying the playboy model’s defense was illogical.

‘Illegal distribution’ 

Detectives began investigating after the LAPD received a report of ‘illegal distribution’ of the image when the photo went viral.  Mathers found herself being vilified online for body shaming her victim. At the time, she apologized for having uploaded the photograph, saying: “That was absolutely wrong and not what I meant to do. I know that body-shaming is wrong. That is not the type of person I am.”

Humiliating

Mike Feuer, as quoted in the LA Times, said last November: “Body-shaming is humiliating, with often painful, long-term consequences. 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 matters is our character and humanity. While body-shaming is not a crime, there are circumstances in which invading one’s privacy to accomplish it can be. And we shouldn’t tolerate that.”