Manosphere Influencer Fined for Harassment of Sainsbury's Worker

Ed Matthews, a 'Manosphere' influencer who was featured in Louis Theroux's documentary "Inside the Manosphere," has been fined £4,500 for using threatening, abusive, or insulting language towards a Polish Sainsbury's worker. The incident occurred on March 2 at a store in Lancaster.

Matthews, 24, and four other men surrounded the female employee as she was cleaning near the alcohol aisle. According to the prosecution at Preston Magistrates' Court, one of the men asked her where the mead was, before Matthews began questioning her about British food and then asked if she "likes English wood." The prosecutor stated that the employee understood this to be a lewd reference to a penis and responded negatively. Matthews then allegedly asked if she liked "Polish wood" and, after she again said no, inquired if she was a lesbian.

The court heard that the employee, who had her arm in a sling due to an injury, felt "trapped" by the group. To extricate herself, she provided one of the men with her Instagram details. She later reported the incident to her manager, which led to Matthews being identified by police. He was interviewed in August but declined to answer questions.

Matthews' lawyer, Saf Rathor, informed the court that Matthews earns between £5,000 and £10,000 per month. He stated that his client was "embarrassed and ashamed" by his behavior and had "turned to God." The lawyer also noted that Matthews had "turned over a new leaf" since serving a 12-week prison sentence earlier this year for attacking an individual he claimed was a paedophile, asserting that his time in HMP Chelmsford had led to this change. Matthews pleaded guilty to one charge of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behavior to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

Matthews was fined £2,884, ordered to pay a £1,154 victim surcharge, £500 in compensation, and £85 in costs. Chair magistrate Deborah Topping remarked that Matthews had taken a leading role in the incident and that the victim "felt trapped," emphasizing that the comments were "sustained" rather than a brief interaction.

A video posted on his lawyer's TikTok account after the hearing showed Matthews appearing to brag about "getting out of a case" while standing in front of a prison van with Mr. Rathor.

Matthews gained public attention through his appearance in Louis Theroux's "Inside the Manosphere" documentary, filmed during Theroux's time in Marbella. During their conversation for the documentary, Matthews made antisemitic claims about Jewish people controlling the world. Following the show's broadcast, Matthews questioned whether the Netflix production was a "hit piece" and suggested he might create his own critique of Theroux.