A prominent fitness influencer has been permanently barred from all branches of a major gym franchise after receiving complaints from patrons about excessive selfie-taking in front of the mirrors.
Edda Pilz, also known as Edda Elisa in the online world, had her long-standing membership at John Reed Fitness abruptly terminated after four years of regular workout sessions at the global gym chain.
The 25-year-old German influencer disclosed that she was informed of the ban when her access card was unexpectedly deactivated. Subsequently, she shared a notification letter from the gym chain that specified a worldwide ban from all John Reed Gyms except those in Switzerland.
Allegedly, the decision was made in response to irate gym members expressing dissatisfaction with Edda’s monopolization of the mirrors for selfies, which was seen as a breach of gym rules and privacy policies regarding filming inside the premises.
However, the influencer refuted the official explanation, suggesting that the ban was driven by jealousy from female gym-goers who felt provoked by her repeated mirror photo sessions.
With a substantial online following of 649,000 on TikTok and 551,000 on Instagram, Edda addressed the situation on TikTok, highlighting her confusion over the ban as the gym’s official account reposts mirror selfies from other members.
Moreover, Edda made unsupported allegations that the gym prioritized penalizing her over addressing instances of sexual harassment involving members, although she did not provide any evidence to support her claims.
Responding to Edda’s assertions, the gym chain responded to German media outlet RTL, confirming the termination of Edda Pilz’s contract due to repeated violations of house rules, despite prior warnings issued to her.
While specific details of the infractions were not disclosed, a member of a gym WhatsApp group reportedly criticized Edda’s behavior, implying a lack of maturity and a challenging demeanor during interactions.
Although individual John Reed locations have the authority to establish their own enforceable house rules, the gym chain has not clarified whether mirror selfies are explicitly prohibited. Edda mentioned that her escalating online popularity became problematic after previously being a regular gym attendee without facing any issues.
This incident is the latest in a series of controversies surrounding the influencer. In late June, Edda claimed she was denied boarding a flight due to her revealing gym attire during a heatwave, resulting in her being barred from a Lufthansa flight until she put on a jacket and zipped it up as instructed.
Edda, a Berlin resident who has appeared on German reality TV programs such as Ex on the Beach and Sommerhaus der Stars, eventually boarded the flight after complying with the airline’s dress code.
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