These days, it seems like no one is safe from being body-shamed — and with social media, it's more possible than ever for nasty comments and criticisms to reach larger audiences.
In July 2016, Playboy's 2015 Playmate of the Year came under fire for body-shaming an older woman at the gym. 29-year-old Dani Mathers was in the locker room at L.A. Fitness when she noticed a nude woman taking a shower after her workout.
Seeing naked people in the locker room is nothing new, but instead of letting the woman have her privacy, Mathers took it upon herself to snap a photo the woman and share it with all of her followers on Snapchat.
Mathers also captioned the photo: "If I can't see unsee this then you can’t either."
Instantly, Mathers' Snapchat post fueled worldwide outrage due to the sheer cruelty of ridiculing someone else's body. In this case, an innocent elderly woman working to keep her body healthy was the victim.
LAPD began looking to identify the woman in Mathers' photo, and without knowing who she was, no charges could be made against Dani Mathers.
But recently, authorities were able to track the victim down…
Dani Mathers, 29, was Playboy's 2015 Playmate of the Year.
She was also a recurring radio host at KLOS, a popular station in Los Angeles.
In July 2016, Mathers posted a cruel photo on her public Snapchat profile, not thinking it would stir up so much controversy.
While in the locker room at an L.A. Fitness gym, Mathers pointed her camera at an unknowing woman in the shower.
"If I can't unsee this then you can't either," she captioned the photo, posing with a feigned look of disgust and horror.
A cyber attack against Dani Mathers was instantly fueled.
People everywhere were outraged that the Playboy model body-shamed this poor innocent woman, posting her naked body on a public forum for all to see.
Without the victim's name or whereabouts, no legal action could be taken against Mathers. For weeks, police were unable to identify or locate the elderly woman pictured in the Snapchat photo.
Meanwhile, Mathers was banned from L.A. Fitness…
…and indefinitely suspended from her gig as radio host for KLOS.
Hours after the body-shaming photo was posted to Snapchat, Mathers returned to her profile to post a public apology.
She says she never meant to hurt anyone.
"I have chosen to do what I do for a living because I love the female body, and I know that body-shaming is wrong and that's not what I'm about," she said.
It seemed the more Mathers tried to apologize, the more online commenters clapped back.
Then, in early September 2016, it was reported that the LAPD finally tracked down the body-shaming victim. She is in her 70s, but her identity remains unknown for privacy reasons.
The woman is currently seeking justice. She wants Mathers prosecuted to the fullest extent and is willing to testify in court to bring criminal charges against the Playmate.
Entertainment lawyer Devin McRae told TheWrap that if Mathers' victim sues, she could receive up to $1 million in damages.
Mathers could also face a charge of Dissemination of Private Images, a misdemeanor charge that is punishable by up to six months in jail.
Perhaps this story will deter anyone from body-shaming another person.
Do you think the body-shaming victim should press charges against the Playboy bunny? Let us know, and please SHARE this with your friends on Facebook!
