Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
NJ Tanorexic Mom: Look In The Mirror And STEP OFF, People
By
Jen Chung
Published May 21, 2012
Modified May 21, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published May 21, 2012
Modified May 21, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Here's a little manufactured sunshine on this rainy day: NJ's infamous tanning mom Patricia Krentcil is speaking out on the Today Show and she wants you to know she's not sitting around tanning all the time: "I'm up at 3 in the morning, making sure all the wash is done. My husband goes to work at 4:30." After she makes her kids breakfast and packs their lunches, "They’re all off and gone. And then I work all day inside and outside the house.”
Krentcil, 44, is accused of taking her 6-year-old daughter tanning at a tanning salon in Nutley, NJ and was charge with child endangerment. She's denied it and says the child's severe sunburn spotted by a school nurse was from playing outside on a sunny day. While evidence suggests she's telling the truth, her extreme appearance has turned her into a meme and a late night punchline (Jimmy Kimmel: "She's so tan it's actually racist.").
Krentcil continued, "I didn't do anything. Is there's something wrong about getting your nails done or somebody who smokes to much or someone who overeats… if this was such a problem, why didn't anyone say anything?" Also: "Look in the mirror and look at yourself and stop looking at me. And I’m sorry I'm tan. I can be tan; it just feels good. But I really think that these moms and dads or whoever, need to step off and step away."
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Tagged
nj
patricia krentcil
tanning mom
tanorexic mom
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Man shot by ICE in NYC still has bullet lodged in neck, attorneys say
Oscar Belgal, a 28-year-old immigrant from the Dominican Republic, was in solitary confinement at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Sunset Park on Monday.
By
Liam Quigley
Published Oct 12, 2026
NY measles spread prompts 'disaster' emergency. It didn't have to be this way, health commissioner says.
The state health commissioner says the disease outbreak is wholly preventable.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
News
NY measles spread prompts 'disaster' emergency. It didn't have to be this way, health commissioner says.
The state health commissioner says the disease outbreak is wholly preventable.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
NYC wants to move deliveries onto the waterways. It's starting with a 55-year-old boat.
By
Liam Quigley
Inside the luxury Greenpoint high-rise powered by a rumbling generator for over a month
By
David Brand
Mayor Mamdani orders review of NYPD use of force policies
By
Michael Sol Warren
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .