A viral social media storm has erupted after a yoga class recording captured an unexpected guest in the background — leaving the internet divided over public filming etiquette.
Influencer and fashion model Diana Pohorila uploaded a clip of herself doing yoga poses during a class, captioning it ‘me simply existing’.
The clip then contrasts to a woman behind her in the class making funny, exaggerated faces to the camera, and the caption changes to “female haters because they can never be me”.
While the original video has since been deleted from Ms Pohorila’s profile following a wave of debate, the internet footprint remains through viral commentary videos breaking down the incident.
The yoga camera debate
The incident has reignited the online conversation about whether influencers have the right to film their routines in spaces where other paying members are trying to exercise or relax in peace.
On one side, critics argue that filming in public group classes is an invasion of privacy.
On the other, defenders claim the woman in the background was being deliberately ‘petty’ and disruptive to someone simply trying to document their progress.
Women’s weight loss coach, Max Dimarco, calls the situation “wild”, calling out Ms Pohorila for being in the “wrong”.
“There is no scenario where it is okay to film someone in potentially their most vulnerable state and have them in the background and think that’s okay,” Mr Dimarco told news.com.au.
“They can pull faces, they can do whatever they want in the background and they’re never going to be in the wrong, because it’s on her.”
What the internet is saying
In the comments of the now-deleted video, people didn’t agree with the creator.
“They’re not hating; they just don’t want to be filmed. You could simply move to the back where there’s nobody behind you,” one user suggested.
“No, it’s because you’re filming them in a workout class. Not because they are jealous of you,” a second commented.
“I think not everyone wants to be filmed, and it would be respectful to ask the people in the back for permission to be on video instead of making fun of them,” a third chimed in.
However, one social media user defended the creator, claiming the woman in the back “literally had to lean in to be in frame”, which was shut down by commentators.
Huge fitness creator Joey Swoll made a video exposing the clip and gave his own comments, criticising Ms Pohorila over the incident.
His video prompted further responses from people, truly showcasing just how divided opinions were.
“Fitness classes should be a safe space from being filmed and put on the internet,” a yoga teacher commented on Instagram.
“The person filming should never film in a busy class without any consent,” someone wrote, defending the woman making the funny faces.
“The lady making silly faces could’ve just asked her to stop filming,” a third claimed, defending the creator filming.
Another user called the women at the back “definitely jealous” of Ms Pohorila.
A growing trend
The drama is part of a much larger shift across global gyms and fitness studios.
A growing number of establishments have begun enforcing strict ‘no filming’ policies to protect member privacy, following a string of viral incidents where gym-goers have been publicly shamed or recorded without their knowledge.
Ms Pohorila has not released a public statement since deleting the video, but the commentary surrounding the clip continues to stack up millions of views across Instagram and TikTok.
News.com.au has reached out to Diana Pohorila for comment.