Former adult film star Mia Khalifa was fired from her role as a Playboy contributor on Monday after she openly and repeatedly expressed support for Hamas in its latest attack against Israel. In a series of social media posts, Khalifa urged “freedom fighters” from the militant Palestinian group to film their violent actions for her enjoyment, prompting a wave of backlash from former sponsors and business partners.
Mia Khalifa, real name Sara Joe Chamoun, was born to a conservative Catholic family in Beirut, Lebanon. Her family relocated to the United States in 2001 after fleeing the South Lebanon conflict, a war between the predominantly Catholic South Lebanon Army and the Shi’ite Muslim forces of Hezbollah. In 2014, she launched a three-month career in the porn industry under her more widely-known stage name. One of Khalifa’s earliest videos, in which she engaged in a threesome while wearing a traditional hijab, earned her instant internet fame and multiple death threats from ISIS.
Following her brief stint in adult entertainment—for which she reportedly earned $12,000—Khalifa began working as an online influencer, Twitch streamer, and OnlyFans model. Even after her departure from the porn industry, the now-30-year-old model continued to be one of the most searched-for actresses on sites like Pornhub. In the years since her pornographic debut, Khalifa has also been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause.
Following the Hamas incursion into Israel on Saturday and the Israeli retaliation against the Gaza Strip, Khalifa uploaded a series of X posts throwing her support fully behind the militant group’s anti-Zionist efforts.
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
— Mia K. (@miakhalifa) October 7, 2023
https://twitter.com/miakhalifa/status/1710722638975279537
One now-deleted post called a photo of a truck carrying armed insurgents “a Renaissance painting” and another asked for someone to “please tell the freedom fighters in Palestine to flip their phones and film horizontal” to better capture details of the attacks.
Additional posts and reposts doubled down on calling Israel an “apartheid state” and accusing Jews of occupying “stolen land.”
In response to her posts, Playboy magazine quickly cut ties with the former porn star and condemned her statements. Khalifa had joined the adult publication’s Centerfold platform in February 2022, but her channel has now been completely deleted.
“We are writing today to let you know of our decision to terminate Playboy’s relationship with Mia Khalifa, including deleting Mia’s Playboy channel on our creator platform,” the publication wrote in an email statement to its subscribers. “Mia has made disgusting and reprehensible comments celebrating Hamas’ attacks on Israel and the murder of innocent men, women and children. At Playboy, we encourage free expression and constructive political debate, but we have a zero-tolerance policy for hate speech.”
The email also included a copy of the cancelation letter sent to Khalifa, which called out her “hate-mongering” and stated in part: “We also have no place in our company nor on our platforms for speech that is hateful and dehumanizing. Your recent statements celebrating Hamas’ attacks on innocent men, women, and children in Israel, including rape, mutilation, killing, and torture, are disgusting and reprehensible. Consequently, we are hereby permanently terminating you from the Playboy creator platform and ending all other business dealings we may have with you.”
Khalifa was also fired from representing psychedelic mushroom company Red Light Holland by company CEO Todd Shapiro, who called her comments “beyond disgusting.”
This is such a horrendous tweet @miakhalifa. Consider yourself fired effective immediately. Simply disgusting. Beyond disgusting. Please evolve and become a better human being. The fact you are condoning death, rape, beatings and hostage taking is truly gross. No words can… https://t.co/ez4BEtNzj4
— Todd Shapiro (@iamToddyTickles) October 8, 2023
Khalifa mocked Shapiro’s criticism by saying that she regrets doing business with a “Zionist” and described how she wants “4k footage of my people breaking down the walls of the open air prison” they’ve been placed in by Israel.
I just wanna make sure there’s 4k footage of my people breaking down the walls of the open air prison they’ve been forced out of their homes and into so we have good options for the history books that write about how how they freed themselves from apartheid. Please worry about… https://t.co/sgx8kzAHnL
— Mia K. (@miakhalifa) October 8, 2023
At last count, the death toll of the ongoing conflict now stands at nearly 1,600 between the two sides, most of them civilians. Early reports also indicate that at least 14 Americans were killed or taken hostage by Hamas during the invasion.
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