Mia Khalifa Claps Back at Porn Insult

Mia Khalifa has hit back at a social media user after they brought up her past career in response to her take on the U.S. and U.K. launching airstrikes on a number of sites used by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

President Joe Biden ordered multiple airstrikes against Houthis in Yemen following what he described as an "extensive diplomatic campaign" to stop the attacks on shipping vessels passing through the Red Sea.

The U.S. military carried out the first round of strikes on Thursday with the U.K. and had support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands. On Friday, the U.S. launched an additional strike against the Houthis. Meanwhile, the Houthis vowed to retaliate and continue its attacks in the Red Sea.

In a statement, Biden said the Houthis had "endanger[ed] freedom of navigation in one of the world's most vital waterways" and that strikes were "a clear message that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel."

The military action sparked outcry, with Edward Ahmed Mitchell, deputy executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), telling Newsweek on Friday that the civil rights group is "deeply disturbed" by what he called the "illegal" airstrikes in Yemen.

Former adult film star Khalifa, who has spoken out in support of Palestinians amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, weighed in on the matter in a post shared on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday.

"Imagine bombing a country for seizing a ship in their own waters that THEY have jurisdiction over," Lebanese-born Khalifa wrote in reaction to the news.

The post was later hit with a Community Notes update that refuted her claim. Community Notes, a "crowdsourced" fact-checking tool on X, was introduced by the platform in late 2022 in an effort to combat misinformation that is still rampant.

It was clarified in the Community Notes update that the "U.S. and British forces have conducted air strikes against the Houthi rebels in Yemen. The Houthi rebels are not the legitimate government of Yemen, and they do not have any jurisdiction over Yemen, either on land or sea."

"More bodies than brain cells," wrote an X user, referencing Khalifa's past in porn.

"Still a lower body count than any member of the IDF [Israeli Defense Forces]," Khalifa clapped back, "and I can't be taken to the ICJ [International Court of Justice] for mine."

While Khalifa made a name for herself in adult entertainment, she has since moved into the fashion world. She has been seen front row at a number of high-profile presentations during fashion weeks in Paris, London and Milan.

In September, she walked the runway for KNWLS' spring/summer 2024 collection, closing out the show in a move that sparked a backlash from her detractors.

In a recent interview with Vogue India, Khalifa spoke about how she deals with those who troll her online, telling the publication: "Adversity builds character. I tell myself I have made it through a lot worse. It's mostly a mental thing. For the parts that aren't, they make beta blockers."

"I take it in my stride," she continued. "Life doesn't get hard when it's about to get easier, it gets hard when things are changing for the better."

Away from the fashion world, Khalifa recently found herself embroiled in controversy amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. Several weeks ago, Khalifa lost business contracts after writing about Palestinian "freedom fighters" in a post on X, hours after the October 7 Hamas attacks on southern Israel that left hundreds dead and saw the kidnapping of more than 200 people.

Following a wave of criticism, Khalifa, who has long been a vocal supporter of Palestinians, sought to clarify her comment in a follow-up statement on October 9.

"I just want to make it clear that this statement in no way shape or form is [inciting] spread of violence," she said in a since-deleted post. "I specifically said freedom fighters because that's what the Palestinian citizens are... fighting for freedom every day."

Playboy was one of two companies that quickly severed ties with Khalifa. She was also publicly fired from her role as an adviser at Red Light Holland, which produces and distributes magic mushrooms.

Defending herself in October, Khalifa said on X: "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."

The backlash included the recent release of a hip-hop track calling for Khalifa's murder. The track is called "Charbu Darbu," which the Times of Israel said is derived from Syrian Arabic and means "swords and strikes." The publication reported that in Hebrew slang, it refers to "raining hell" on an opponent. The track is by duo Ness Ve Stilla, whose members are Nesia Levy and Dor Soroker.

In the concluding moments of the track, a list of "enemies" the pair wish to "X out" is shared, including the Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

Celebrities are also named on that list, including Khalifa, model Bella Hadid and singer Dua Lipa—all of whom have spoken out in support of the Palestinian civilians affected by the conflict in Gaza.

"Every c***'s last day will come/ Bella Hadid, Dupa Lipa, Mia Khalifa," they rap.

"Charbu Darbu," which trended atop streaming platforms in Israel, caught the attention of Khalifa, who took aim at the style of the track in a post on X.

"Y'all that song calling for the IDF to kill me, Bella, and Dua is over a DRILL beat," she wrote, "they can't even call for genocide in their own culture, they had to colonize something to get it to #1."