Alo Yoga, the multibillion-dollar Los Angeles athleisure and wellness retailer, is under fire after one of its most visible instructors, Briohny Smyth, filed a 58-page lawsuit alleging age discrimination, wrongful termination, unfair competition, and unlawful employment practices.
The Lawsuit of “Alo Aesthetic” Over Inclusion?
Filed in a Los Angeles court in August 2025, the complaint claims Smyth was pushed out after turning 40—despite being one of Alo Moves’ top draws and a core architect of the brand’s digital fitness rise.
Smyth’s classes regularly drew millions of views, and she earned between $70,000 and $100,000 per year plus bonuses. But after turning 40, her base pay was slashed, bonuses were halved, and by February 2025, Smyth was terminated. Her attorneys argue that Alo’s stated shift to focusing on different things was a coded message: she no longer had the Alo aesthetic, a euphemism for being too old, despite her physically fit middle-aged status.
Attorney Reaction: Calling Out Corporate Hypocrisy
Keith Wesley, managing partner at Ellis George LLP and Smyth’s attorney, issued a direct statement: “Briohny Smyth is an icon in the yoga community. It’s ironic that a woman who has devoted her life to championing a healthy lifestyle is fired from a company just because she turned 40. Alo’s age discrimination against a loyal and long-standing brand ambassador like Bri is shameful, its employees deserve better, its customers and clients expect better, and we look forward to calling out Alo’s hypocrisy in court for everyone to see.”
Business and Brand Fallout
At stake is more than one instructor’s job—the case indicts the core of Alo Yoga’s positioning as a progressive leader in wellness and inclusivity. Alo Yoga’s leggings, stores, and celebrity campaigns have built it into a global status brand, rivaling Lululemon.
What’s Next: Industry-Wide Implications
The case highlights the pressures as brands transition from community-based platforms to billion-dollar companies with hyper-focused branding—and how those choices can leave legacy ambassadors behind. It raises issues of:
- Worker misclassification and gig economy labor rights
- The limits of arbitration
- The gap between branding and internal practices
- Alo Yoga has not commented publicly
Key Takeaways
- Briohny Smyth, star instructor, claims she was removed after age 40 for not fitting the “Alo aesthetic.”
- Lawsuit alleges age discrimination, wrongful termination, unfair competition, misclassification, and unconscionable arbitration.
- Case questions the credibility of one of Los Angeles’ most successful wellness brands and could impact the broader industry’s employment practices and marketing ethics.
