A well-known fitness influencer has been permanently barred from all branches of a major gym franchise due to complaints from patrons alleging excessive mirror selfies.
Edda Pilz, also recognized as Edda Elisa online, had her longstanding membership at John Reed Fitness abruptly terminated after four years of consistent attendance at the global gym chain.
The 25-year-old German influencer was informed of her ban when her access card was unexpectedly deactivated, with subsequent communication from the gym notifying her of a worldwide ban from all John Reed Gyms except for those in Switzerland.
The decision was purportedly made following complaints from irate gym members accusing Edda of monopolizing the mirrors with her frequent selfies, breaching gym regulations and privacy policies concerning filming within the premises.
However, Edda refuted the official account, asserting that the ban was instigated by envy from fellow female gym-goers who felt intimidated by her repeated mirror photos.
With a significant online following of 649,000 on TikTok and 551,000 on Instagram, Edda addressed the situation on TikTok, questioning the gym’s actions by pointing out that the official John Reed account reposts mirror photos of other members as well.
Moreover, she made baseless allegations that the gym management was more inclined to penalize her than address instances of sexual harassment involving other members, although no evidence was provided to support her claims.
In response to Edda’s accusations, the gym chain confirmed her contract termination to German media outlet RTL, citing repeated violations of their house rules despite prior warnings.
While specific details of the infringements were not disclosed, a member of a gym WhatsApp group reportedly criticized Edda, questioning her intelligence and suggesting that attempting to reason with her calmly was futile.
Although each John Reed location can establish its own set of enforceable house rules, the gym chain did not explicitly state whether mirror selfies are prohibited. Edda emphasized that her escalating online fame became problematic after previously training at the gym without incident.
This incident adds to the influencer’s recent controversies. In late June, she claimed she was denied boarding a flight due to her gym attire being considered too revealing during a heatwave, as per creatorzine.com.
Reportedly wearing form-fitting sportswear in temperatures around 30C, Edda was refused entry onto a Lufthansa flight, with an airline representative stating she appeared naked.
After retrieving a jacket and putting it on, Edda was allowed to board only after fully zipping up the garment. The Berlin-based influencer, known for appearances on German reality TV shows, like Ex on the Beach and Sommerhaus der Stars, eventually boarded the flight successfully.
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