LA Man Says He Almost Faked His Death and Then Actually Moved to a New Home Just to Escape His $300 a Month Equinox Gym Membership: ‘I Told Planet Fitness I Was Going to Jail’
LA Man Says He Almost Faked His Death and Then Actually Moved to a New Home Just to Escape His $300 a Month Equinox Gym Membership: ‘I Told Planet Fitness I Was Going to Jail’
A Los Angeles man went viral after revealing the extreme lengths he had to go to just to cancel his $300 a month Equinox gym membership, including seriously considering faking his own death before ultimately deciding to move to a new home entirely.
The $300 a Month Membership That Trapped Him
TikTok creator Caden (@caden7376) shared his story in a video that has now racked up over 550,600 views. He explained that he signed up for the luxury gym thinking it would push him into a new fitness era.
“I signed up for Equinox, and, mind you, it was $300 a month,” he says. “And I thought I was gonna be in like my gym, body gym shark… bulk era.”
For a few days, it seemed like the membership might actually work out.
“I literally went like three days in a row,” he says.
Then the motivation disappeared completely.
From Gym Shark to Sauna Scroller
Instead of using the gym the way he imagined, Caden says his visits turned into something far less intense:
- Sitting in the sauna
- Scrolling on his phone while walking on the treadmill
- Eventually going only once a week
“So I was like, OK, this John isn’t even worth it. Let me try and cancel.”
He Says He Signed a Contract
Here is where things got complicated. Caden admits he had signed a 12-month contract at Equinox, which meant canceling was not as simple as just deciding he did not want to go anymore.
“The only way to get out of it was to die or to move,” he says.
That left him weighing some creative options.
“My lease here is six months, so I guess I’ll have to die,” he joked.
He even started seriously thinking about how to fake his own death before landing on the slightly less dramatic solution.
“I’m just gonna move. So now I’m actually moving to escape Equinox.”
He then addressed the gym directly: “Equinox, if you see this, respectfully, disrespectfully, I hope that your company blows up and dies and dies again and then blows up.”
Watch the full video here:
@caden7376
Viewers Shared Their Own Gym Cancellation Hacks
The comments section quickly turned into a masterclass in gym membership escape tactics, with viewers sharing their own wild methods:
- “I told Planet Fitness I was going to jail,” one user wrote.
- “Just steal something from the shop they’ll ban you,” another suggested.
- “My friend had her therapist write that she was afraid of mirrors and couldn’t go to the gym,” one commenter shared.
- “I literally faked my move to get out of a $700/mo pilates membership and saw my instructor/owner at Whole Foods 2 weeks later LMAOOO,” a fourth shared.
Why Is Canceling an Equinox Membership So Hard
On its FAQ page, Equinox says members can cancel in several ways:
- In-club with a manager
- By mail as described in their membership agreement
- By email at Cancellations@Equinox.com
- By logging into their Equinox account
However, the company also states that notice periods vary by state and tells members to review their own membership agreement for specific requirements.
According to members posting on Reddit’s r/EquinoxGyms, canceling seems to only be a real issue during the first year. Users claim that Equinox often locks new members into a one-year contract that then turns into a month-to-month agreement afterward.
Some members say this is never clearly disclosed at signup. One wrote: “My membership advisor never disclosed the one year contract to me when I signed up. She had me quickly sign everything at the desk and would briefly tell me what I was signing but she never once said the one year contract rule.”
Equinox Has Already Faced Legal Action Over This
This is not just a social media complaint. In 2025, the New York Attorney General announced a $600,000 settlement with Equinox Group after finding that the company made it difficult for New Yorkers to cancel memberships and failed to clearly disclose certain subscription terms.
Caden’s story is just the latest reminder that reading the fine print before signing up for a luxury gym membership might be worth more than any workout.
Want more viral stories and trending news that has the internet talking? Visit Bktoday.org for daily updates and never miss a story everyone is buzzing about.