47 WOMEN, ONE PHONE — THE PLANET FITNESS CASE THAT HAS SPARKED MULTIPLE LAWSUITS
47 WOMEN, ONE PHONE — THE PLANET FITNESS CASE THAT HAS SPARKED MULTIPLE LAWSUITS
A disturbing investigation at a Planet Fitness gym in California has triggered multiple lawsuits after police allegedly discovered dozens of images and videos of women inside private tanning rooms. What happened inside the gym reportedly continued for months before the case came to light.
THE CAMERA NO ONE EXPECTED TO SEE
The allegations center on a Planet Fitness location in Arroyo Grande, California.
According to court documents cited by the New York Post, 40-year-old Kyle Combs allegedly entered private tanning and red-light therapy rooms and secretly recorded female members while they were undressed.
Police reportedly later discovered more than 50 photos and videos involving approximately 47 women on electronic devices connected to the investigation.
ONE WOMAN SAYS SHE CAUGHT HIM
According to one lawsuit, a woman reportedly noticed a cellphone camera pointed through a gap in her tanning-room door in December 2025.
She allegedly screamed after realizing she was being recorded.
The man reportedly fled the gym.
Police were then contacted, leading to an investigation that allegedly uncovered the larger collection of images and videos.
THE LOCKS ARE NOW A MAJOR QUESTION
Several lawsuits claim the private rooms could allegedly be accessed from outside using a simple object such as a coin or another flat item.
The plaintiffs argue that the allegedly defective locking system allowed someone outside the room to gain access without the person inside realizing it.
That allegation is now part of the legal claims against the gym.
WERE WARNING SIGNS MISSED?
Perhaps the most serious allegations concern what employees allegedly knew.
One woman claims she reported seeing Combs inside her tanning area months before the December incident.
According to her lawsuit, she says employees laughed at her and suggested she had failed to lock the door.
Other complaints allege that staff members appeared distracted or failed to respond adequately to suspicious behavior.
These are allegations contained in lawsuits and have not been established as proven facts in court.
POLICE SAY COMBS FACES CHARGES
Combs has reportedly been charged with 12 misdemeanor counts of invasion of privacy.
He has pleaded not guilty.
The criminal allegations and the civil lawsuits are separate legal proceedings, and the accusations against him remain subject to the court process.
Planet Fitness said the member’s membership was cancelled and that the franchise group worked with local police during the investigation.
THE QUESTIONS NOW FACING THE GYM
The case raises questions that go beyond one alleged offender.
Were the private-room locks adequately secure?
Were earlier complaints properly investigated?
How could alleged recordings accumulate for months?
And what responsibility, if any, could the gym face if employees failed to respond appropriately?
Those questions will ultimately have to be addressed through evidence and the legal process.
The most disturbing part may not be how one person allegedly entered a private room—but how long the alleged conduct was able to continue before it was stopped.
Dozens of alleged recordings.
Multiple lawsuits.
12 criminal counts reported against the accused man.
And serious questions about gym security and staff response.
Independent commentary based on published reporting and court allegations. Kyle Combs has pleaded not guilty, and allegations against both the individual and the gym remain subject to the legal process.
