A well-known fitness influencer has been permanently barred from all branches of a global gym franchise due to complaints from patrons about her excessive mirror selfies.
Edda Pilz, also known as Edda Elisa online, had her membership at John Reed Fitness abruptly terminated after four years of training at the international gym chain. The 25-year-old German influencer discovered she was banned when her access card was suddenly deactivated, and she later received a letter from the gym chain informing her of a worldwide ban from all John Reed Gyms except in Switzerland.
The decision to ban Edda reportedly came after angry gym members raised concerns that she was monopolizing the mirrors with her constant selfies, breaching the gym’s rules and privacy policies regarding filming on the premises.
However, Edda has refuted the official explanation, alleging that the ban was motivated by jealousy from other female gym members who felt threatened by her frequent mirror poses. With a substantial following of 649,000 on TikTok and 551,000 on Instagram, Edda shared her perspective on the situation via TikTok.
She expressed confusion over the ban, pointing out that the official John Reed account reposts mirror photos of other members, implying that her substantial online presence made her a target. Edda also made baseless accusations that the gym management was quicker to penalize her than address instances of sexual harassment involving members, although she provided no evidence to support her claims.
In response, the gym chain rebutted Edda’s assertions, stating to German media outlet RTL that her contract had been terminated for repeated violations of their rules, despite prior warnings issued to her. The gym declined to elaborate on the specific infractions. Allegedly, a user in a gym members’ WhatsApp group criticized Edda’s behavior, suggesting that reasoning with her was futile.
While each John Reed location is empowered to establish its own set of binding rules, the chain has not clarified if mirror selfies are explicitly prohibited. Edda contended that her rising online fame became problematic after previously attending the gym without incident.
This controversy is the latest in a series of publicized incidents involving the influencer. In late June, she claimed she was denied boarding a flight because her gym attire was deemed too revealing during a heatwave, preventing her from flying with Lufthansa.
Reportedly, a representative informed Edda that she could not board due to her attire appearing insufficient. After complying with the requirement to wear a jacket, ensuring it was fully zipped, Edda was allowed to board the flight successfully. Edda, based in Berlin, has previously appeared on German reality TV programs such as Ex on the Beach and Sommerhaus der Stars.