Dani Mathers’ photo: LAPD seeking to identify woman in body-shaming picture taken by Playboy model

Police say they cannot move forward with investigation until woman is identified

Dani Mathers has faced a backlash online, and has been banned from L.A. Fitness over the incident (Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Police Department is looking for a woman whose picture was apparently secretly taken and uploaded to Snapchat by Playboy model Dani Mathers.

Mathers was condemned for sharing a picture of a woman getting changed after a shower inside the locker room of an LA Fitness gym with the caption: “If I can’t unsee this then you can’t either.”

Police were notified of the incident by the LA Fitness Gym, who revoked Mathers’ membership from all of its health clubs. However, the force said it is unable to move forward with an investigation into “illegal distribution” until they can identify the woman shown in the picture.

“Without a victim, we can’t go forward,” a spokeswoman for the LAPD told the Los Angeles Times. She said detectives are asking the woman to contact police.

Mathers, 29, issued an apology shortly after publishing the video and claimed she had meant to send it in a private conversation to a friend, not her followers.

“That was absolutely wrong and not what I meant to do,” she said in her apology. “I know that body-shaming is wrong. That is not the type of person I am.

“I know I have upset a lot of people out there but please, please believe me when I say this is not the type of person I am. I have never done this before, I will never do this again, you have my word.“

“Her behaviour is appalling and puts every member at risk of losing their privacy,” Jill Greuling, the executive vice president of LA Fitness said in a statement after revoking her membership.

“Our written rules are very clear: cellphone usage and photography are prohibited in the locker rooms. This is not only our rule, but common decency.”