Los Angeles, Nov 6 (PTI) Playboy Playmate Dani Mathers has been charged with invasion of privacy after photographing a women changing at the gym and poking fun at her on social media.
The model and actress thought she was being cute when she posted the snap of an unsuspecting naked 70-year-old woman on Snapchat in July and then added a selfie of her giggling, reported TMZ.
She captioned the shot: "If I can't unsee this, you can't either."
The Internet exploded with outrage and criticism towards the model, and bosses at the LA Fitness gym where the shot was taken immediately revoked Mathers' membership and reported her to police.
Cops couldn't file charges at the time because the woman in the photo was unidentified, but the alleged victim has since come forward and reports suggest she is willing to testify against Mathers.
The model's attorney, Tom Mesereau, recently said, "Dani Mathers never tried to hurt anyone at any time and certainly never tried to break any law."
Mathers has since apologised for her actions on Snapchat, insisting she never meant to make the locker room photo public.
"That was absolutely wrong and not what I meant to do," she said in a video apology. "I know that body shaming is wrong. That is not the type of person I am."
She also apologised on Twitter, writing: "I'm sorry for what I did. I need to take some time to myself now to reflect on why I did this horrible thing."
Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer filed the criminal charges, stating: "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 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 faces up to six months in jail if she's convicted.
