Around three years ago, fitness instructor Kendall Toole was leading one of her widely beloved Peloton classes when she noticed something weird. A remote class participant had joined the class using a racist screen name. What unfolded next was a near-perfect lesson in leadership and boundary setting: “Get ’em banned. We don’t do that here,” she stated firmly. “Oh, now I’m pissed.” Later: “I ain’t the one, baby. I take no disrespect.” Early last week, the footage of this debacle resurfaced on X, and Kendall quickly ascended to viral deity status once creative stans began using the footage to depict every situation imaginable.
I, too, have remained entranced by Kendall’s assertiveness, so much so that my algorithm now knows to feed me all sorts of Kendall clips: supercuts of her dancing to ’90s classics during other classes, and TikToks of people using her audio in every conceivable context. While Kendall left Peloton in 2024, she now runs her own fitness platform, NKO, and finds her newfound virality both entertaining and affirming. Today, the Los Angeles native sat down with Cosmo for a debrief about her famous new fans, her former child acting career, and the lessons she hopes to impart on the masses about boundary setting.
First, can you clarify exactly what led to the clip we now all know and love?
The rumor mill says there was a user on the leaderboard named “[Pedal]file,” which is still disgusting and heinous. But the leaderboard name was something racist and awful, and I don’t know how it slipped through. It was a brand-new account, so I knew that someone was trying to get me to say this out loud, because people would have innuendo usernames and I’d say them out loud, then it would go viral on TikTok. So somebody with really ill intent was trying to get me to say something. And when I saw that clearly, it pissed me off.
It was not a space where someone needed to open up their app and see something that abrasive and awful. Like, no, we don’t do that here. I was very upset about it, and I told the control room at the time to get that person banned. I wanted them kicked out of class, and I didn’t want them to have an account. Then I believe they took care of it from there.
I didn’t realize they were trying to trick you into reading it out loud.
Oh yeah. People keep asking what it said, and I’m never gonna give it the space. We are not going to let that person have power for wanting to say something that was made to make other people feel small and awful and also create a moment that would be inherently negative. That stays in 2023. There’s too much airtime given to people getting too much attention for very poor behavior.
Since the clip resurfaced, what’s been your favorite usage of it? I know it’s gone far and wide.
I now recognize how many parts of culture I just don’t get. People are using it for a Japanese anime character to say, “No slander of empowered female characters.” I’m, like, Yeah! But I have no idea who and what you’re talking about. BookTok has used it. I woke up this morning, and my TikTok has blown up. All these people who I love are now following me, like Julia Fox and Benito Skinner.
I’ve been seeing people recreate it. I saw this one kid bouncing on a chair, recreating the entire thing with, like, a Britney mic. As long as people are having fun, I’m fine to be made fun of.
They’re not making fun of you! Everyone’s on your side; you're not the butt of the joke. You’re being heralded as the queen of boundary-setting.
Which I love! One of my really good friends, who I cheered with at USC, texted me like, “Babe, you’re going viral on Stan Twitter.” My heart dropped. I’ve had other things go viral before, and people just attack you. I was really worried, so I couldn’t look at it. He was like, “No, babe, it’s, like, taking off.” Everyone seems to be playing nice, and they’re using it as a cool example of setting boundaries. You can stand up for what you believe in, you don’t have to cower, and you don’t have to be worried. I want people to feel empowered in their voice. That’s always been my goal. And so it’s pretty cool that something from three years ago is popping up.
I’ve seen a lot of people thirsting over you online, too. How do you feel about that?
I am honored! I’ve finally found a wonderful person, and I’m in a very loving relationship. And he’s great. He’s, like, “That’s my girl; I get it.” So it’s such a beautiful thing to be in a place now where I’m like, “Cool, I’ll take it.”
One of my favorite interpretations was someone saying you perfectly employed the Kubrick stare. I saw you say in response that you’re somewhat of a cinephile. Are there movies in your career future?
I’m gonna give you some lore. I lived in Los Angeles growing up and was a failed kid actor. It was a whole journey. I was supposed to be the lead in this really big movie. And then a very famous actress, who we all know, decided to say yes, and then that kind of went out the window.
Can you share what movie?
It was Charlotte’s Web…
Dakota Fanning’s?!
Yeah, it was gonna change my life. And then her schedule opened up. There were a lot of almosts and maybes in my life. And I got to a point of frustration where I wanted to take my career into my own hands. So I went to USC for film and business. My dream was always to tell women’s stories to show that you can be strong and flawed. Thankfully, we’ve had a lot of wonderful women film directors and producers since then who’ve changed the narrative, like the Shonda Rhimes and Reese Witherspoons of the world. In my first job out of college, I was producing content for Snapchat. And then I pivoted and got into teaching fitness and wanted to empower people that way.
So I would love it if everything circled back into film and TV and I got to tell those stories but also hopefully empower people in the process. The through line with everything that I’ve done is how is this helping people know their worth and their value? Because I’ve had my own journey with my mental health.
It’s promising to hear that you made your way while taking a path you hadn’t originally set out to.
It was, like, failure after failure. I was in a film just before college, and it was supposed to be the darling at Sundance, and then there was all this drama about it. But now I look back, and I see how the dots connect and led me to another place.
But [to answer your question] yes, I’m a big Kubrick fan. I love my old Hollywood movies. Grace Kelly, Katharine Hepburn, Lauren Bacall, but especially Katharine Hepburn, because the rumor is she slapped a studio head who was disrespecting her and told her that she needs to be more feminine.
Well, this sort of leads me to my next question. Obviously, the memes have been funny, but what makes this viral moment feel special on a deeper level?
It shows that if you show up authentically as yourself, whether you get the recognition at the time or not, you should be proud to stand for your values, because you never know when the world’s going to need it. I hope people take this as a sign that in 2026, we can stand for our values. We don’t need to squash our voices or make ourselves smaller, especially as women, because I think we’re getting a lot of that messaging lately, and we need to go completely in the opposite direction.
Amen. Now, some rapid-fire questions. What’s your ideal 5-song workout playlist?
I would start the class with the Olivia Dean “Man I Need” remix to build the energy, I’m obsessed with her! I also made awkward eye contact with her when I was in L.A. last week; she was staying at the hotel I was at. Then there’s “Yalla Habibi” by Ma Tnsani—it’s so vibey. Then, if we’re gonna get really intense, there’s a remix of Destiny’s Child’s “Survivor,” by 2WEI—it has very Lara Croft energy. Then “Knuck If You Buck” goes the fuck off, so we have to have that. And we’d probably close with a Paramore remix or maybe an old school EDM throwback—whether it’s a remix of “Levels” by Avicii (because God bless Avicii) or “Clarity” by Zedd still hits.
Perfect variety. I also need to know your zodiac sign.
I’m an Aquarius—my birthday is January 28. My rising sign, which you can probably guess, is Leo, and then my moon is in Aries. As we could see in that video. I’m a very protective mama bear, maybe sometimes too much.
That manifests so clearly. Now that you’ve left Peloton, what are you up to today?
Three months ago, I launched my own fitness and mental wellness app called NKO Club. It stands for “never knocked out,” which is my family’s motto that got me through my mental health chapter. It was my dad’s words, and I would close all of my classes, from Rumble to Peloton with it.
I wanted to build a fitness and mental wellness platform that was like a country club for the misfits, because I felt so often like fitness and movement is gatekept, and you have to kind of assimilate. I’ve never been that. And I don’t think you should have to adhere to a certain set of rules to be a part of wellness. I wanted to build something that feels simple in terms of design but not overwhelming and can also empower you in the process.
What advice would you give to anyone who needs help setting boundaries?
When you first start setting boundaries, you’re gonna feel like the bad guy. And a lot of people who were taking advantage of you will push against your new standards. You have to be okay with being the villain for a little bit. It’s okay to feel uncomfortable. It’s okay to waver on them a little bit—you don’t just flip a switch and figure it out, but remind yourself of why you’re setting the boundary: I’m setting this boundary to protect my energy. I’m setting this boundary because I need a break. When you go back to your why, it’ll help reinforce that line, and then people will come around. And if they’re not going to come around, they’re not your people, but if they do understand, you’ll start setting a standard that hopefully they set for themselves, too.
