Adult magazine Playboy is said to have canceled its contract with former actress Mia Khalifa, citing her recent social media statements expressing sympathy for Palestine and Hamas in the midst of the Israel-Hamas conflict. The magazine called Khalifa’s remarks “disgusting and reprehensible,” notably her celebration of Hamas strikes against Israel.
Mia Khalifa’s contentious posts
Mia Khalifa got into trouble after she posted a message on social media showing solidarity with Hamas militants. Her letter, which asked Americans to support Palestinians, swiftly drew attention and criticism from a variety of sources. Invoking the apartheid parallel, she emphasized that anyone who neglected to assist Palestinians was on the wrong side of history. Soon after, Khalifa fueled the flames by sending another message, this time encouraging Palestinian liberation warriors to film the unfolding events in horizontal, high-quality 4K footage. Her objective seems to be to preserve a historical record of Palestinians’ aspirations for release from what she called an “open-air prison.”
Backlash and repercussions
Mia Khalifa’s social media remarks sparked a considerable response, led by Canadian podcaster and radio personality Todd Shapiro. Shapiro, Khalifa’s business partner and collaborator in Red Light Holland Corp, abruptly ended their relationship, announcing her immediate dismissal. He slammed Khalifa for allegedly endorsing violence, death, rape, beatings, and hostage-taking, calling her actions “disgusting” and “beyond disgusting.” The backlash from her posts included criticism of reality star Kylie Jenner, who had tweeted and then deleted a message expressing support for Israel. Mia Khalifa questioned Jenner’s comprehension of geopolitics and urged for a logical response, emphasizing the obligation of influencers with large followings to engage in global issues critically.