Chilean gymnast and social media influencer Maria del Mar 'Marimar' Perez Banus has sparked social media outrage after using a Japanese sacred symbol in one of her workout videos. In the clip, originally posted to her Instagram before being deleted due to the backlash, she is seen using a Torii, a traditional Japanese gate, as a bar for pull-ups.
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Marimar Banus used the sacred symbol to perform leg movements in sync with DJ Casper's song Cha Cha Slide. Netizens backlashed the influencer across social media platforms. One user wrote,
“People like her make tourists look bad.”
Netizens wrote that the influencer's action left a bad image for the people of Chile, while others called the act ‘disrespectful.’
“I am Chilean and this kind of attitude leaves a bad image of us as a country, it does not represent me and not all of us are like that. There will always be a moron who does any nonsense for likes,” another person wrote on X.
“shame on her !” a netizen reacted.
“ugh what a disrespectful selfish idiot,” an X user commented.
Social media users demanded stringent action against such behavior, while others wrote that Japan asked for it.
“Arrest and jail. Until you make an example of these morons, they wont stop. It was bad enough when they were falling to their death trying to get that ‘epic’ selfie, now dececrating shrines. What if that broke? The government of Chile needs to apologize to Japan!” a netizen wrote.
“I hate to say it but in the way, in a sense, chasing the Almighty Tourist Dollars (or Pesos or whatever) delicate Japan opened itself suddenly up to the world and kind of asked for it,” a social media user wrote.
Influencer Marimar Banus reportedly apologized for her actions
Following the backlash, influencer Marimar Banus apologized through an Instagram video for her actions in Japan, stating that she did not intend to be disrespectful and expressed regret for acting thoughtlessly. The translated caption read,
“I want to apologise for my actions in Japan. I did not mean to be rude. I am really sorry for what I did without thinking. Please, no more messages or comments. Thank you.”
Toriis are sacred gates or traditional arches typically placed at the entrance of Shinto shrines to signify the boundary between the profane and sacred. A torii at the entrance is often the most recognizable feature of a Shinto shrine.
Despite the backlash, some of her followers defended the influencer, arguing that her intentions were not malicious. They felt she was simply trying to have fun, with some commenting that mistakes happen and should be seen as learning opportunities rather than reasons to criticize.
As per College Sports America, the influencer was affiliated with Ball State University. Originally from Chile, she attended high school in America and had a knack for traveling. The best memory of her athletic career was qualifying for the 2019 Pan American Games.
In 2017, she became the bar champion at the Houston National Invitational. She aimed to pursue a bachelor's degree in business while competing on a college gymnastics team.
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