Playboy Playmate Dani Mathers is facing possible time behind bars, after allegedly secretly photographing a nude woman at her gym and then posting it with a mocking caption on social media.
Mathers was charged Friday with one count of invasion of privacy, which carries a sentence of up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
“Body shaming is humiliating, with often painful, long-term consequences,” Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer said 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.”
Mathers is accused of secretly photographing a 70-year-old woman in the shower area at an L.A. Fitness gym, then posting it to social media.
Mathers’ troubles began on July 14, when she posted the photo of the nude woman on Snapchat with the caption, “If I can’t unsee this then you can’t either.”
The model did not say what about the woman’s appearance she found objectionable.
Mathers subsequently apologized, but that failed to sway her many detractors on social media.
L.A. Fitness banned her from its gyms, and Mathers was fired from her gig at Los Angeles radio station KLOS, where she appeared as a regular on the station’s morning show.
Mathers, 29, has hired Thomas Mesereau, who represented Michael Jackson during the King of Pop’s molestation trial, to represent her in the matter. Mesereau has also represented actor Robert Blake, boxer Mike Tyson and is one of a string of lawyers who have represented Suge Knight in the rap mogul’s ongoing murder case.
TheWrap has reached out to Mesereau for comment on the new charge.
Editor’s note: This story initially indicated that Mathers had been charged by the district attorney, not the city attorney. TheWrap regrets the error.