‘THIS IS A GAME’

Women Bodybuilders Claim Officials Pressured Them Into Posing for Nudes

Some of the 200 female athletes photographed by the IFBB president’s son J.M. Manion claim they were pushed into sexually explicit pictures, WaPo reports.

The International Federation of BodyBuilding and Fitness Pro League’s President Jim Manion has been involved in bodybuilding’s biggest competitions and circuits since the sport exploded in the early ’80s. Meanwhile, his son, J.M. Manion, has been building another empire related to the family business—commissioning the league’s top female competitors to appear on his softcore porn websites. But an investigation by The Washington Post alleges that many of more than 200 female athletes who participated in explicit photoshoots coordinated by the younger Manion felt coerced into doing so. Women who spoke anonymously with the outlet felt they were taken advantage of during the photography sessions. Pictures of the athletes ranged from Playboy-esque bikini photos to shots of nude bodybuilders together in beds and showers. Some women reported that it challenged their relationships with judges, and all the while they never saw money for the sensitive content. “I kind of felt like this is the game and you’ve got to play along because this is the son of the head of the sport,” one team member told the Post, while another bodybuilder claimed she felt if she said no it “could end my career.” J.M. did not respond to the Post’s request for comment.