Planet Fitness Sued Over Alleged Secret Recordings

Planet Fitness is currently dealing with several lawsuits filed by women who claim that male members ignored warnings and displayed suspicious behavior for months. These individuals are accused of repeatedly entering locked tanning rooms, secretly filming numerous naked clients, and in some cases, recording themselves inappropriately.

The troubling allegations are centered on a Planet Fitness location in Arroyo Grande, California. Kyle Combs, a 40-year-old resident of Grover Beach, is said to have collected over 50 photos and videos of roughly 47 women in various states of undress from January to December 2025, as detailed in court documents.

Combs, who has been charged with 12 misdemeanors, is accused of invading a woman’s privacy by recording her in a tanning booth without her consent. He has pleaded not guilty.

In one of the recent lawsuits filed in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court, a group of eight women, referred to as Jane Does, claims that Combs occasionally filmed himself while also recording his unsuspecting targets.

One woman has stated that she discovered Combs in her home’s tanning area in May 2025. Following her distressing experience, she sought assistance from Planet Fitness employees, only to be laughed at and told that she simply forgot to lock the door.

Despite her insistence that the door was locked, employees allegedly dismissed her concerns and claimed there was nothing wrong with the lock. This disconcerting pattern continued for another seven months until on December 29, another woman caught Combs recording her through a gap in the tanning booth.

This woman, identified as Jane Doe I, was only wearing a bikini top when she noticed the camera pointed at her. Upon realizing what was happening, she screamed, prompting Combs to flee the gym. Witnesses noted that at least one employee saw him run away but did not intervene.

A Planet Fitness staff member referred to in the lawsuit stated that the woman called the police, appearing “screaming and hysterical.” Following a police investigation, authorities reportedly found an alarming collection of over 50 photos and videos of various women inside tanning booths on Combs’ devices.

The lawsuits allege that Combs repeatedly exploited faulty locks on the tanning and red light therapy rooms, which could be easily manipulated from the outside with a flat object, such as a coin.

Another complaint suggests that Combs wandered aimlessly around the gym’s lounge and massage chair area, informing police that he was waiting for a woman to enter a private tanning room.

Once a woman entered a tanning room, Combs allegedly used his thumb and fingernail to unlock the door from the outside, entering the room and taking photos of her while she was naked, according to a complaint filed by two other women.

The lawsuits indicate that at least one victim was featured in a couple of videos, while another appeared in several clips. This series of alleged violations reportedly took place right under the noses of Planet Fitness staff.

To use the Black Card Spa amenities, members were required to check in with employees who would scan their membership cards. Staff members also had to activate the tanning booths, suggesting that they were aware of usage patterns in those rooms.

The complaints further reveal that Combs was often seen on surveillance cameras wearing medical scrubs, appearing nervous, and acting suspiciously while wandering the spa with his cellphone in hand.

Multiple women have reported that Planet Fitness employees seemed frequently distracted. One victim noted that staff members often spent time on their phones instead of monitoring the spa area, while another mentioned that employees were engaged in conversations or looking at their phones.

The Journal has reached out to Planet Fitness, Combs, and the Arroyo Grande Police Department for comments regarding these serious allegations.