The Original Post
I (31M) go to the same gym most mornings before work. Its a normal chain gym like no one of those influencer gyms but people still record sets sometimes. There are signs about not filming other members without consent but its not like it never happens.
A few weeks ago this woman (I’ll call her Jenna) started setting up a tripod near the cable machines, I didnt care like i’m not trying to police anyone I just did my workout and stayed out of the way.
But then I kept noticing I was showing up in her videos anyway in the background. One day I was doing lateral raises and her phone was pointed straight through the mirror so you could see a big chunk of the floor behind her. I only noticed because I could literally see myself in the mirror on her screen when I walked past. I’m not saying she was doing it on purpose but I also dont want to be in some stranger’s videos at 7am when I’m half awake and sweaty.
The first time I said something I tried to keep it casual. I waited until she was between sets and said “hey, I think I’m in the background of that, would you mind adjusting it a bit?” She sighed, moved it slightly and said she was just recording her form.
A week later it happened again and this time I said more directly “I’m not comfortable being in your videos, can you point it away from the main floor or keep it tighter?” She got annoyed and said if I dont comfortable I can work out somewhere else cause its a public gym.
That’s when I got frustrated, I told her its not public, its a private business and I’m not the one filming. She rolled her eyes and walked away.
So I went to the front desk and asked what the actual policy is. They told me filming is allowed but if someone doesnt want to be in your shot you’re supposed to adjust and staff can step in if it keeps being an issue. I told them I’d already asked her twice. They went over and spoke to her.
After that she concerned me near the lockers and said I was a creep for “watching her”, that I’m trying to control women at the gym and that now she feels targeted and anxious to come in.
Now I’m sitting here wondering if I escalated it to far. I just dont want to be in somebody’s content. But I also get how how going to staff can look like a bigger move than just letting it go.
AITA?
What Reddit Said
Reddit overwhelmingly sided with the gym member in this filming dispute. Most users recognized his polite approach and reasonable request to stay out of someone’s content. However, they were particularly disturbed by the woman’s aggressive response and manipulation tactics.
The top comments focused on her concerning behavior pattern. She ignored gym policy, dismissed his legitimate privacy concerns, then flipped the script to make herself the victim. Moreover, cornering him at the lockers to accuse him of being a “creep” raised serious red flags about her intentions.
The Verdict
The overwhelming consensus: OP is Not the Asshole (NTA). This gym filming without consent situation perfectly illustrates how some people weaponize victimhood when called out for inappropriate behavior. Reddit users strongly advised reporting her confrontational behavior to management, as this represents classic manipulation and potential harassment. This falls squarely into public behavior conflicts where one person’s “content creation” violates another’s basic privacy rights.
Original post from r/AmItheAsshole (6,269 upvotes, 674 comments)