Fitness influencer Joey Swoll has never been one to shy away from addressing injustice in gyms — and this time, his stance has drawn both criticism and admiration.
The popular “CEO of Gym Positivity” found himself at the center of a fierce online debate after speaking out and defending singer Tish Hyman, who went viral back in November for describing an uncomfortable encounter with who she said was a “grown man” in a women’s locker room.
While the fallout around the Gold’s Gym incident quickly split public opinion, Swoll’s reaction — and his refusal to back down — has positioned him as one of the few major fitness figures publicly defending women’s safety in gyms.
“Regardless of politics, we should all agree that women have the right to feel safe and comfortable in a women’s locker room without having to see a grown man naked,” Swoll said in a video shared to his millions of followers.
The Controversy That Sparked the Debate
The drama initially began when Tish Hyman, a Los Angeles-based musician, shared an emotional video claiming she had repeatedly encountered trans-identifying individuals in the women’s locker room at a Gold’s Gym location — now rebranded under EoS Fitness.
In her viral clip, Hyman described feeling “shocked” and “unsafe” after seeing a person she identified as male inside the women’s changing area. “I turned around and there’s a man in the locker room,” she told TMZ. “I said, ‘Sir,’ because I was shocked. He snapped back at me, saying, ‘You can’t tell me nothing, b*tch, I’m a woman.’”
The video sparked immediate backlash — some calling Hyman’s comments “transphobic,” others insisting she was voicing legitimate safety concerns.
Despite Black telling TMZ that she is often supported by women in locker rooms, her past has been brought to light by the Daily Mail, which has reported that Black spent a year in an Ohio jail after pleading guilty in a domestic violence case against her ex-wife.
When Swoll weighed in, he was quick to defend Hyman’s right to feel protected.
“Tish, thank you. I applaud you for your bravery, for sticking up for yourself and for other women,” Swoll said. “I personally spoke to Tish. She’s very stressed out, having lost her gym membership, a place she loves to go, losing over a hundred pounds there. So I am personally going to help her find a new gym in the LA area, a place where she’ll feel safe and comfortable — and I’m going to pay for it too.”
Swoll Faces Backlash — and Refuses to Bend
That show of support triggered a torrent of support from Swoll’s fans… but also a wave of criticism, with detractors accusing Swoll of being “transphobic” and “fear-mongering.” But Swoll doubled down — calmly and firmly.
“To all the people lying, putting words in my mouth — I NEVER said transgender people don’t belong in gyms,” he tweeted. “Of course they do. EVERYONE is welcome in the gym. But when it comes to locker room policies and laws, women’s safety and protection must be the top priority. Period.”
The backlash didn’t stop at words. According to Swoll, angry users began review-bombing his business, the flavoring company Taste Flavor Co., in an attempt to harm his livelihood.
It backfired spectacularly.
“They tried to destroy @Taste_FlavorCo, my business and livelihood, just for doing what’s right,” he wrote on X. “They demanded I ‘do better’ and apologize. No and NEVER AGAIN. Instead, I didn’t back down, I stood strong, and you all had my back. In an incredible show of support, so many of you bought TASTE, and I’m deeply grateful. Because of all of you, TASTE is thriving, doing better than ever, and it’s driving them crazy.”
Swoll’s defiance resonated with thousands of followers who praised him for refusing to fold under public pressure — a rarity in an era where social media outrage often leads to either rapid apologies and retractions or “cancelling”.
“This Stops Now” — Joey’s Call for Change
Since the controversy erupted, Swoll says he’s been flooded with messages from women sharing stories of harassment and fear inside gym locker rooms. Many, he says, were ignored by management.
“This week I have received an overwhelming number of heartbreaking stories from women about their encounters with men in women’s locker rooms,” Swoll wrote. “It’s not just about discomfort and vulnerability — it’s about SAFETY. Women have endured everything from harassment to sexual assault and even the threat of violence.”
“What’s even more devastating,” he added, “is that many of these women went to gym management looking for help only to be dismissed and told that ‘nothing can be done’. One gym told a woman they wouldn’t help her because they’re ‘afraid of being sued’.”
For Swoll, the issue isn’t about politics — it’s about protection.
“It’s very clear that there are men taking advantage of exploiting current laws and women are not safe even in their own spaces and locker rooms. This stops NOW. Women deserve to feel safe and men do not belong in the women’s locker rooms. PERIOD.”
Despite being labelled, attacked, and boycotted, Joey Swoll’s stance hasn’t budged. He’s built a reputation around gym etiquette and empathy — calling out shaming and bullying across social media — and he’s treating this issue no differently: by standing on principle, not popularity.
For his followers, it’s exactly what they expect from him — calm, direct, and rooted in conviction, and his comments sections reflect this.
“Joey you’re an angel,” one person wrote, with a second commenting: “Joey is the most non political influencer out there, he’s automatically being pushed as a right winger for being a common sense individual.”
A third wrote: “The majority stand behind you Joey and we know how you have a HUGE heart!”
Swoll is not calling for division, he insists. He’s calling for boundaries.
And as social media continues to erupt around the Gold’s Gym controversy, Joey Swoll isn’t backing away from the fire. He’s walking straight into it — determined to protect the space where millions of women go to feel safe, strong, and seen.
Featured image credit: Instagram/@listen2tish/TikTok/@thejoeyswoll (screenshots)
