Why is XXX star Mia Khalifa banned from Lebanon?

We know Mia Khalifa as the Lebanese-American webcam model & former porn actress. Her claim to fame might have been her viral XXX porn stints, but it’s left a bitter aftertaste. Since then she has exposed the predatory business practices that are rampant in the porn industry. She was very vocal about how she felt exploited, and then she quit the industry.

Now she’s a webcam model, mostly making her living off her OnlyFans account. She’s been in the news lately for her activism more than anything else. Her activism streak began with a public expression of her regrets about being in the porn industry. 

She has especially been vocal about how skewed & exploitative the financial aspect of the industry is – how she particularly made very little money compared to the other actresses on Pornhub. What initially began as a conversation about a level-playing field in financial terms ended up with her larger narrative of how the porn industry preys on young women.

Khalifa’s recent activist ties with Lebanon

Since then, she’s been very keen on using her platform & reach to provoke positive action towards charitable causes. One of the most pronounced examples of this was her recent tirade in the aftermath of the unfortunate Beirut explosion. 

As expected, Mia Khalifa used the power of her influence & reach to spread awareness about the damage that’d been done by the blasts & to raise funds for the support of those affected by the blasts. Many celebrities thronged to support & direct funds for charities & the Lebanese Red Cross to help. Mia Khalifa has stood out. 

In order to raise funds for the Lebanese Red Cross, Khalifa put her glasses – the ones she’s known for wearing in her porn videos – on auction via eBay for $100,000, along with a signed polaroid, and some other personal effects.

Untiring activism for Lebanon

Recently, she tweeted how they tried to work it out with multiple bidders on eBay, but none of the deals came to fruition. But her conscience couldn’t let her use this as an excuse. She’d promised the money for the Lebanese Red Cross, so she personally made the donation to the Lebanon Red Cross. 

Khalifa tweeted along with a video, “It’s been two months since the explosion and there has been no accountability taken, no investigation, and no resources implemented by the state. I’m sorry it took this long, @RedCrossLebanon, but this money is getting to you no matter what it does to my credit score.”

Getting in touch with her Lebanese roots

Mia Khalifa has had a tumultuous relationship with her home country. She has a tattoo of the Lebanese national anthem, but this wasn’t received positively in her country, where her professional choices have made her a kind of a pariah. She’s mentioned her parents are estranged due to her choices, she’s also been blocked by the president of the country.

That hasn’t deterred her efforts to protect & serve her country. Even as far back as 2017, Mia tweeted: “Happy Independence Day to the country I love, but doesn’t really love me back.” It’s the truth of how she feels & acts – making efforts for her country, even as there is no reciprocation.

Recently, she went on a podcast called Sarde After Dinner where she discussed her Lebanese roots at length. She mentioned, “Although I never lost touch with my Lebanese roots, in fact, I feel like as I’ve gotten older and grown into myself, I’ve nurtured them more; this conversation left me feeling validated in my heritage. Imposter syndrome can be crippling when you’re kinda whitewashed.”

I’ve been banned from my home country but I’ll never stop telling everyone who will listen how it’s the most beautiful, delicious, and heart warming place in the world 🥰 I can forgive, hopefully with time they can, too. https://t.co/PeA9vapuby

— Mia K. (@miakhalifa) October 23, 2019

An emotional moment for Khalifa

The podcast host Azouri told her that many of her Lebanese supporters are women. She was choked with emotions, and later shared a post across her social media with a clip that showed this exchange. 

She accompanied it with the caption, “This was an emotional day, and I’m so happy to say I feel like I walked away with two new friends and a closer connection to my birthplace and childhood home than ever before.”

She’s fond of her country & would visit every summer if she could. Unfortunately, being banned from the country prevents that. But her love for her country is rather unwavering. She shares, “No one can take that away from me. I was born there, I grew up there. It is my culture, it is my heritage, it is my lineage.”