Justice

Former Playboy Model Discusses Losing Her Privacy After Sharing That Snap

May 31st 2017

Dani Mathers, who was charged for taking and sharing a photo of a nude 70-year-old woman in a gym shower, is opening up about the fallout.

The former Playboy model was sentenced on May 24.

As ATTN: previously reported, she "pleaded no contest to 'misdemeanor invasion of privacy'" and was sentenced to three years probation and community service (graffiti cleanup) and was also ordered to pay the victim $60 for a new backpack, as the court ruled the one she had in the photo could identify her.

Mathers sent a snap to her Snapchat story of the woman with the following caption: "If I can't unsee this then you can't either."

She followed up the photo with a selfie of her hand over her mouth.

Mathers has since explained that she meant to send the snap only to a friend, which misses the issue of her crime - it isn't that she accidentally sent it out to the public, but that she took the photo without permission. She also hasn't appropriately apologized for the act, and has insisted on Twitter that she's the target of a "witch hunt."

"It's taught me a lot about privacy."

In an interview with "Good Morning America," posted by ABC News on Wednesday, Mathers said, "I haven't been able to actually meet the woman involved, although I've wanted to. So there's just been a lot of unresolved issues."

She still doesn't seem to fully grasp her error, adding (emphasis ours), "I never meant to hurt her. I never ever intended on showing the world this photo. And that I hope that she could forgive me. I don't expect her to forget. I don't expect her to like me. I just, I really want her forgiveness."

Dani MathersGood Morning America/ABC News - go.com

She also mourned her lack of privacy following the incident. "It's taught me a lot about privacy," she told "GMA." "I've lost a lot of that myself as well. We've had a lot of paparazzi involved in my family life. I had my privacy taken away after I took someone else's. To hide out at my mother's house at age 30 because of something I've done. It just felt really low."

California is using Mathers' case to try to pass a new privacy bill.

The bill, SB 784, is a push to protect privacy. It seeks to punish those who take photos or videos of others without their permission.

"The proposed law also will entitle victims to monetary restitution to get a picture off the internet and out of public distribution. This week, the bill was approved by the state's Senate and is waiting to be approved by the state's Assembly. If it passes there, it could be signed into law by the governor," CNN reports.

Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer has been at the forefront of privacy issues, tweeting in November 2016 when Mathers' story broke:

On May 25, he tweeted he's sponsoring California legislation to "beef up fines" for sharing photos taken without permission. State Senator Cathleen Galgiani is a supportor of the bill, telling CNN, "this country has a growing problem of bullying through body-shaming on social media that needs to be addressed."

Mathers has yet to respond, tweeting on Wednesday, "I hope everybody's enjoying their day."

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