Mia Khalifa referred to Hamas terrorists as ‘freedom fighters’ and said Palestinians are ‘fighting for freedom every day’
Former porn star Mia Khalifa has been terminated by Playboy following her comments about the attack on Israel by Hamas militants, which she referred to as “freedom fighters.” Playboy cited Khalifa’s comments as “disgusting and reprehensible.”
The attack initiated by Hamas on Saturday resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,600 people, leading to a retaliatory response from the Israeli military. Thousands of individuals were also injured during the conflict, and some were abducted by Hamas, subjected to rape, torture, and murder.
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Playboy communicated its decision to end its association with Mia Khalifa, including the deletion of her Playboy channel on their creator platform, in an email sent to the company’s creator community.
Playboy explained its decision to sever ties with Mia Khalifa, citing her recent comments as “disgusting and reprehensible” in which she celebrated Hamas’ attacks on Israel and the tragic loss of innocent lives, including men, women, and children. The company expressed its commitment to fostering free expression and constructive political debate but emphasized a zero-tolerance policy for hate speech. Playboy made it clear that it expects Mia Khalifa to recognize the consequences of her words and actions.
Mia Khalifa, a Lebanese-American adult film performer who was previously the highest-ranked adult star on PornHub, has a history of referring to Israel as an “apartheid” state. She gained notoriety for receiving threats from ISIS after appearing in a sex scene while wearing a hijab.
Shortly after Hamas launched its significant attack on Israel over the weekend, the largest in decades, Mia Khalifa posted on X, stating, “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.”
In another post on Saturday, she asked for “freedom fighters in Palestine to flip their phones and film horizontally.” She responded to this post two days later by clarifying, “This statement in no way shape, or form is enticing the spread of violence. I specifically said freedom fighters because that’s what the Palestinian citizens are… fighting for freedom every day.”
In another post, Khalifa commented, “I can’t believe the Zionist apartheid regime is being brought down by guerrilla fighters in fake Gucci shirts – the biopics of these moments better reflect that.”
The email from Playboy also included the letter sent to Mia Khalifa to inform her of their decision to end their association with her.
“Playboy has always championed the cause of free speech,” the letter addressed to Khalifa stated. “We have consistently fought for the rights of all individuals to express themselves without interference from the government. Over seventy years, we have showcased diverse viewpoints in our magazine, on our websites, through symposia we’ve hosted, and by providing a platform for thought leaders, creators, and artists across various media formats.”
The letter went on to emphasize, “However, we have no tolerance for speech that promotes hate and dehumanization within our company or on our platforms. Your recent statements, in which you celebrated Hamas’ attacks on innocent men, women, and children in Israel, including references to rape, mutilation, killing, and torture, are abhorrent and unacceptable. Consequently, we are permanently terminating your access to the Playboy creator platform and ending all other business arrangements we may have had with you.”
The letter continued, “We want to be unequivocal in stating that we respect your right to free speech. However, we also expect you to recognize that how you exercise that right carries consequences. Today, we are denouncing your hate-filled statements and severing all ties with you. We will also be informing our creator community of our decision.”
Mia Khalifa was also publicly terminated from her position at a psychedelic mushroom company after she made a post on X requesting that someone inform the “freedom fighters in Palestine to flip their phones and film horizontally.” Red Light Holland CEO Todd Shapiro conveyed her dismissal to Khalifa on Saturday via X.
In response to her post, Shapiro wrote, “This is such a horrendous tweet @miakhalifa. Consider yourself fired effectively immediately. Simply disgusting. Beyond disgusting. Please evolve and become a better human being. The fact that you are condoning death, rape, beatings, and hostage-taking is truly abhorrent. No words can express your ignorance. We need people to come together, especially in the face of tragedy. I hope you can become a better person. However, it appears that it may be too late for you.”
Khalifa then responded to Shapiro’s post by saying she wanted to “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 they freed themselves from apartheid.”
“Please worry about your sad little company lacking direction and purpose before you utter my name again,” Khalifa wrote. “I stand with all people fighting oppression, now and always, do your research before begging for my investment in your little project, I’m from LEBANON, are you insane for expecting me to be on the side of colonialism you f— ing weirdo.”