‘The gym is being quiet because they know you can sue’: Planet Fitness member gets strange text from front desk worker. Then things take a dark turn
A Planet Fitness member says she received a disturbing text message from a front desk employee—and things only got worse when she tried to report it.
In a viral TikTok video with over 211,600 views, user Emily Ohara (@emm.ohara) recounts the unsettling experience after receiving a flirtatious message from a gym staffer.
She asked viewers for advice on how to deal with the uncomfortable situation.
"If you a lawyer, let me know if I have anything here," she said.
Planet Fitness worker allegedly harassed member
According to Emily, the message arrived at 3:14am on an otherwise ordinary day.
"40 plus male Asian/Islander (prefers Asian Islander as opposed to Filipino for historical reasons)," the text allegedly read. "TRULY, MADLY AND DEEPLY IN LOVE WITH YOU."
Emily shared a screenshot of the messages as she read them aloud in her video.
"I respond with a question mark because—what?" she said, confused.
The man followed up by apologizing for the late-night message and identifying himself.
"It's PHiNN from Planet Fitness," he wrote. "How you been?"
Emily explained that the man works at the front desk of her gym and is someone she regularly sees during her visits.
"Now he decided to go into the system to breach my privacy and text me a personal message," she said.
Even after the woman shot back a text that called the worker "unprofessional" and "creepy," he continued his flirty exchange.
"I just want to explore you," he wrote. "What makes you laugh. What makes you happy."
Worker promptly fired
The woman decided to contact the gym to report the employee, which allegedly resulted in his firing.
"He sends me a 'termination of employment letter,'" Emily said.
The man tried to joke about getting fired from the gym and even doubled down on his offer to take her on a date.
Though the gym allegedly terminated the employee, the woman said they never contacted her.
She accused the gym of completely ignoring her.
Meanwhile, the man continued to make advances via text.
"What's your next challenge?" he asked. "You want me to crawl or you want me to jump?"
He even sent the young woman a photo of himself with a rose in his mouth.
This led her to contemplate what next steps she should take to protect herself. She formally cancelled her gym membership but still wondered what she should do in the wake of having her privacy invaded.
What can you do if your data is breached?
Currently, there are no federal laws that specifically regulate how companies must respond to personal data breaches.
However, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) can take enforcement action against companies that fail to uphold their privacy promises, especially if they mislead consumers about how their data is protected.
The FTC has brought cases against companies for lax security practices under its authority to prevent unfair or deceptive business practices. In the absence of federal legislation, data breach notification laws are primarily governed at the state level, leading to a patchwork of regulations that vary widely across the country.
Commenters urge legal action
In the video's comments section, many urged the woman to take legal action.
"Hell yea sue Planet Fitness this is breach of privacy!!" user Jigglypuff wrote.
"You can sue the gym for this. The gym is being quiet because they know you can sue. 100%. Police will not do anything unless he commits an actual act against you," user CJ commented.
Others urged her to contact the police.
"Call. The. Police. Start the dang paper trail. If you need a restraining order this will definitely help," user Elayna commented.
The Daily Dot reached out to Planet Fitness Gym and Emily Ohara via email for comment and more information.
@emm.ohara any advice would be much appreciated???? @Planet Fitness #planetfitness #torontolawyer #privacy ♬ original sound - emz ????✨
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