The LAPD has apparently located the woman depicted in a photo surreptitiously taken by Playboy Playmate Dani Mathers in a gym locker room, and she wants to press charges against the model. Back in July, model Dani Mathers allegedly took photo of a nude woman at her local L.A. Fitness and Snapchatted it with the caption, "If I can't unsee this then you can't either." The backlash was swift, with many of Mathers' followers wondering why the heck she would do something so malicious. She then issued a terrible apology, stating that she only meant to sent the body shaming snap to one friend, not her entire feed. Taking photos of naked people without their knowledge or consent in a place where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy—such as their home, hotel room, or a gym locker room—is a crime. But for actual prosecution, the LAPD stated they would need to find Mathers' alleged victim.
The LAPD has apparently now located the woman in the photo. According to TMZ, the unidentified woman is in her 70s and wants Mathers to face legal consequences. The most likely charge would be Dissemination of Private Images, which can carry a sentence of up to six months in jail. Devin McRae, an entertainment lawyer, told The Wrap that the woman could also potentially sue Mathers for $1 million.
L.A. City Attorney Mike Feuer's office confirmed with ABC News that they did receive the case from the LAPD, and that "it's currently under review from our office. We will be making a final decision soon, but there’s no timetable at this point."
Mathers has hired Tom Mesereau as her attorney, who is no stranger to very public cases as he defended Michael Jackson when the singer was charged with child molestation in 2005. Jackson, as you may recall, was ultimately acquitted. He told The Wrap that Mathers "never tried to hurt anyone at any time and certainly never tried to break the law."
Mathers has been banned from every L.A. Fitness in existence, and she was also fired from her recurring spot on KLOS' "Heidi & Frank" radio show. She also received no small share of Internet excoriation. She hasn't tweeted since July 14, upon which she said she was taking time to reflect on why she would do what she did.
