Screenshot from a video of Mia Khalifa dancing with a keffiyeh in hand. (Credit: Screenshot via X/@miakhalifa)
Famed American Lebanese-born former porn star Mia Khalifa has faced criticism on X (previously Twitter) since Saturday, after expressing support for Hamas fighters.
Khalifa lives in the United States and is a social media influencer and model. Her stance in support of Palestinians has had a negative impact on her business.
“If you can look at the situation in Palestine and not be on the side of Palestinians, then you are on the wrong side of apartheid and history will show that in time,” Khalifa posted on X on Saturday.
“Can someone please tell the freedom fighters in Palestine to flip their phones and film horizontal,” Khalifa said in another post she shared on her page, which boasts over 5 million followers.
Khalifa’s statements did not go unnoticed.
“I’d say supporting Palestine has lost me business opportunities, but I’m more angry at myself for not checking whether or not I was entering into business with Zionists,” she said via X on Monday.
Her statement was prompted by a post from “Red Light Holland,” a company she partnered with, which announced her immediate termination due to her political stance.
Khalifa’s publications in support of Palestinians prompted thousands of comments, mostly critical and insulting of the young woman and her past as a pornographic film actress, including many posted by accounts verified by the X platform.
“Freedom fighters don’t slit old people’s throats in front of bus stops and kill children in their own homes,” commented one internet user on Khalifa’s post.
“You’re disgusting in more than one way,” said another person. “I’m willing to fund a trip for you to the area,” another X user said. “I’m certain they’ll treat you more kindly than Israeli female soldiers have been treated.”
On the other hand, a few pro-Palestinian supporters expressed their solidarity with Khalifa. “Thank you for becoming the voice of the Palestinians,” one X user wrote.
Another user shared a video of Khalifa dancing with a keffiyeh in hand to the song “Ana dammi falastini” (my blood is Palestinian) by Palestinian singer Mohammad Assaf.
Referring to another video of Khalifa in which she criticizes Israel and the US, one Lebanese X user defended her saying, “this woman will show you what patriotism and dignity mean,” alluding to Khalifa’s past in pornography.
Born in Lebanon, Khalifa emigrated to the US with her family at an early age. She came to public attention in 2015, after being ranked as the number 1 star on Porn Hub, after a brief three-months in the porn industry.
Her career as an adult film actress led to her being banned from entering Lebanon.
The young woman, who bears a tattoo of the Lebanese national anthem, has previously expressed her support for the Oct. 17, 2019 thawara (revolution) in Lebanon. She also raises $100,000 in donations for the Lebanese Red Cross after the 2020 Beirut port explosion by auctioning the iconic black glasses she wore in her adult films.
This article was originally published in French in L'Orient Le-Jour. Translation by Sahar Ghoussoub.