Gold’s Gym ends Egypt branch contract over body-shaming ad

American fitness giant Gold’s Gym says it will terminate its contract with an Egyptian partner after a Cairo gym posted a body-shaming image of a pear with the message: “This is no shape for a girl.”

The advert, which used the global gym brand’s logo, provoked a backlash on social media.

In an apology on its official Facebook page, Gold’s Gym criticized the “offensive and disgusting” image, saying it went against “everything we believe in and stand for.”

“After consultation with our master franchise in Gold’s Gym Egypt, we are in the process of expediting the termination of this sub-franchise’s agreement,” the US-based company said.

Gold’s Gym Egypt also issued an apology.

Gold’s Gym and its Egyptian franchise have both requested that Facebook remove the page of Gold’s Gym Dreamland, which is based in a Cairo suburb.

“Gold’s Gym Dreamland has by no means any right to speak for the Gold’s Gym Egypt community,” the Egyptian franchise said on Wednesday.

Gold’s Gym said it was reviewing internal procedures for branches both in the US and abroad “so that nothing like this ever happens again.”

The storm caused by the ad comes as the Olympics are underway in Rio de Janeiro, with several athletes subjected to body-shaming on social media.