"Peloton Husband" gifts real-life girlfriend a Peloton bike for Christmas
Despite the backlash, the husband from the infamous Peloton commercial decided to give his real-life girlfriend a Peloton bike for Christmas. It seems to be going better for him already.
Actor Sean Hunter shared a photo on Instagram of himself and his girlfriend, Cassidy Baras, as she tested out the new bike, which came complete with a Christmas bow.
"Here's hoping this goes over better the second time," Hunter wrote. "Merry Christmas to my actual girlfriend (pls don't leave me)."
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Sean Hunter (@pelotonhusband) on
Hunter told CBS News he paid for the bike himself. It appeared to be the perfect response to the unrelenting vitriol unleashed over the viral advertisement.
In the original ad, a husband surprises his wife with the indoor bike on Christmas. She then awkwardly documents her year-long fitness journey, culminating in a video blog of her progress that she presents to him the following year.
The ad garnered an immense amount of criticism online, with people slamming it as sexist and classist and accusing the company of promoting an unhealthy body image.
The spot was intended to "celebrate that fitness and wellness journey," Peloton said in response. But the criticism took its toll: The high-end exercise equipment maker lost about $1.6 billion in market value after the ad went viral.
The actress in the ad, Monica Ruiz, had her own epic response to the backlash, starring in an ad for Ryan Reynolds' Aviation Gin brand, seemingly drinking away her troubles. Ryan Reynolds tweeted out the ad, saying "Exercise bike not included."