Mia Khalifa's rise to notoriety exploded in 2015 with a scandalous adult film featuring her in a threesome while donning a hijab. This act catapulted her to the top of PornHub's search rankings, but it also ignited a firestorm of backlash, including her parents publicly disowning her.
After just three months in the adult industry, Khalifa walked away, overwhelmed by the relentless criticism. “It was my rebellious phase, but I’m trying to distance myself from all that now,” she stated, reflecting on her tumultuous past.
Fast forward to 2023, and Khalifa has pivoted her career. She launched a jewelry line named ‘Sheytan’ with designer Sara Burn. The name, an anglicized version of the Arabic word for ‘devil,’ hints at the negative portrayal she faced from certain factions during her adult film days.
In Autumn 2023, she appeared in a campaign for the London-based fashion label Aries. Sofia Prantera, the brand's founder, praised Khalifa’s “Punk” attitude, describing her as strong yet humble, embodying resilience against adversity.
Khalifa leverages her substantial social media following to advocate for global human rights, tackle governmental corruption in Lebanon, and champion the rights of sex workers. She delivered a notable address at the Oxford Union, discussing her efforts to rebuild her public image and the significance of setting personal boundaries.
Despite distancing herself from mainstream adult content, Khalifa still engages with fans on adult subscription platforms. She prefers these sites over larger pornographic websites, asserting control over her content. In July 2020, over 1.5 million people signed a petition demanding the removal of her videos from sites like Pornhub and BangBros, alongside calls for her internet domains to be returned.
Recently, an AI-generated image of Khalifa and fellow adult star Lana Rhoades went viral, depicting them at a football match. Khalifa quickly debunked the fake, stating, “It’s AI, I wouldn’t have a team USA hat.”
When asked about her World Cup allegiances, she humorously declared: "Today I am Bosnian, later this evening I am Paraguayan. Tomorrow at 6pm I am Moroccan, and at 9pm I am Haitian."
Unfortunately for Khalifa, none of her chosen teams triumphed in their World Cup openers; however, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Morocco managed to secure a point each. Meanwhile, the USA dominated Paraguay, and Scotland's John McGinn led his team to their first three points in a tight match against Haiti.
