About
Dani Mathers, born Danielle Jenee Mathers on January 5, 1987, in Los Angeles, is an American model and actress best known for her long-running relationship with Playboy magazine. She first appeared as Playmate of the Month in May 2014 and was later crowned Playmate of the Year in 2015, becoming the 56th model to earn that honor.
Though Playboy put her on the pop-culture map, Mathers has also dipped into acting. Soap-opera fans may recognize her recurring role as Danica on The Bold and the Beautiful from 2005–2013, while moviegoers caught a glimpse of her in the 2014 comedy Neighbors alongside Seth Rogen.
Mathers’ career hit turbulence in July 2016 when she snapped and publicly posted a photo of a 70-year-old woman in an LA Fitness locker room with the caption, “If I can’t unsee this then you can’t either.” The post triggered widespread backlash, a misdemeanor invasion-of-privacy charge, and a legal sentence of 30 days’ community labor, three years’ probation, and a lifetime ban from LA Fitness.
Before Fame
Raised in Malibu, Mathers comes from a close-knit Jewish-Italian household that encouraged both sports and creativity. Surfing, volleyball, and impromptu backyard photo sessions were part of her everyday routine, seasoning a personality that blended athletic grit with camera-ready confidence.
At 18 she began appearing as an extra on The Bold and the Beautiful. Producers liked her energy enough to bring her back for multiple stints over eight years, giving her an informal master class in daytime television. Modeling offers followed, and by January 2013 she had landed Playboy’s Cyber Girl of the Month title, a step that led directly to her 2014 Playmate shoot in Cabo San Lucas.
Trivia
- Height: 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m) — proof that big charisma doesn’t always come in a tall package.
- Social reach: Her Instagram account tops 390 K followers, where posts oscillate between fitness routines and snapshots of her miniature dachshund, Murphy.
- Movie moments: Beyond Neighbors, she made her horror debut as Haley Bucklebee-Saint in the 2023 indie slasher Kill Her Goats.
- Radio detour: Until July 2016 she was a regular voice on KLOS-FM’s “Heidi & Frank” morning show. The station cut ties after the Snapchat incident.
- Active lifestyle: A longtime volleyball player and certified personal-training enthusiast, she often shares simple home workouts and balanced-meal ideas with followers.
Family Life
IMDb lists her parents as James Evan Mathers and Lori Susan Gravino. The model often credits them for encouraging her to chase unconventional goals while keeping her grounded in family values such as Sunday dinners and holiday traditions.
Mathers is equally devoted to her siblings (she is the youngest of three) and to a small pack of rescue pets. In interviews she has described her Malibu upbringing as “strict but loving,” explaining that chores, sports, and shared meals kept fame from going to her head once the spotlight turned her way.
Associated With
- Hugh Hefner: The late Playboy founder personally handed Mathers the Playmate of the Year title at a mansion ceremony on May 14, 2015.
- Seth Rogen: Her cameo in Neighbors put her alongside Rogen and a cast of comedic heavyweights, broadening her résumé beyond glamor shoots.
- Heidi & Frank: Morning hosts Heidi Hamilton and Frank Kramer gave Mathers her first steady radio platform, showcasing her quick wit until the 2016 fallout.
- Arielle Raycene and Kane Hodder: On the set of Kill Her Goats, Mathers shared the screen with Raycene and horror legend Hodder, signaling a pivot toward genre filmmaking.
