Mia Khalifa’s journey is a story of metamorphosis and fortitude. From her enigmatic rise in the tabooed world of adult entertainment to her current reign as a fashion it girl, her evolution is nothing short of extraordinary.
Interview tak­en from METAL Magazine issue 50. Adapted for the online version. Order your copy here.
Mia’s brief stint in the adult film industry thrust her into the public eye, resulting in an uncontrollable exposure to the public, and although her career in the porn industry lasted briefly, three months, it was enough time for her to lose control of her image and digital footprint for ever, perpetually. Her story serves as a reminder that strength lies not in the absence of adversity but in the courage to confront it head-on. Born in Beirut, Lebanon, Mia’s journey is as diverse and dynamic as the landscapes that have shaped her. From her formative years in the Middle East to her later pursuits in the United States, Mia’s story is not one defined solely by her past but rather by her unwavering determination to reclaim her own narrative and redefine her legacy on her own terms. Answering my video call from Miami, and despite the controversies and criticisms that surrounded her past, Mia rises as a symbol of raw strength and resilience, reclaiming her identity and becoming a new cultural icon.
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Cardigan LOEWE, jewellery SHEYTAN. 
I would like to start this conversation by talking about your origins, childhood, and upbringing. You spent your early years in Lebanon before moving to the United States right after the September 11 attacks shook the world. Can you share what it was like growing up in Beirut, and the contrast you felt when transitioning to life in the United States?
Well, it was a very drastic change. I feel like Lebanon is one of those countries that lags behind at times, we get everything just a little bit later. So, when I moved to the United States, it was a huge culture shock. I felt like I was very behind a lot of the other kids my age, from then and also going into, middle school and high school I was very much treated as a child that was about, like, four or five years younger, I had a bed time, and I wasn’t allowed out. American culture was something that was really foreign, not just to me, but to my entire family as a whole. We all immigrated together which meant that there was a lot of adjusting for all of us, and, I think we all did it at the same time, the acclimation process, but we all took it very differently. So, yeah, that was a very drastic change. Not to say that there isn’t racism in Lebanon. There’s a lot of not just internal racism, but issues with domestic workers, colourism and all of these very toxic things that I think are prevalent in any culture. But, yeah. Being a dark-skinned Lebanese girl, I experienced a lot of the colourism growing up. I wasn’t allowed out in the sun without, like, SPF50 so that I wouldn’t get any darker in order to be seen as more traditionally beautiful to Lebanese standards. But moving to the Unites States was like experiencing that towards every aspect of my life.
Did you find that the cultural constraints you experienced back home continued to influence you in your new environment?
Of course, without a doubt. Moving to the Unites States was like experiencing those constraints towards every aspect of my life. For instance, the lunch that I would bring to school, I would get made fun of for, people would say it smelled bad, and then I would feel so embarrassed. This weirdly affected my relationship with food and things surrounding that. But, you know, if I was too dark for a Lebanese girl, I was definitely too dark for United States.
As you adapted to American culture, do you believe that this process triggered feelings of shame or guilt from your upbringing in Lebanon, particularly in terms of trying to assimilate your inner child into a new cultural environment? 
Oh my god, absolutely, and that’s something that I try to nurture very, very hard now. I really value friends who accept my culture and who are interested in it; that means the world to me because it means the world to my inner child. I grew up trying to be a white girl wanting to be a white girl, trying to dress like one, look like one, talk like one, everything. I really hated myself because of that internalised shame. And it wasn’t until, like, maybe five or six years ago, after I started going into therapy, that I started to accept myself and be proud of who I am, my culture and, yeah, just be comfortable in my own skin.
When researching for this interview, I was surprised to find out that you previously experienced two marriages, adding depth to your narrative. In regions like the Middle East, and other conservative societies, many women endure unhappy marriages for fear of judgement. Divorce is stigmatised, seen as a taboo, or source of shame. Drawing from your own experiences, what advice would you give to women facing similar cultural pressures? 
Who the fuck cares? Get the fuck out of there. If a relationship is not serving you, there is no amount of shame that your community or your family can put on you to make you stay in something that’s not right for you. I will never wrap my head around that. I will never empathise with that because what you’re saying is that your community’s feelings matter more than you. No. Girl, stand up. Stand up for yourself! 
Unfortunately, honour and shame are archaic principles which dominate and shape perceptions of sexuality, freedom, and autonomy for women and men – especially when it comes to the Middle East. Do you believe there’s a prevalent double standard in how these are applied?
Yes, that’s apparent in almost every culture. I feel like we live in very patriarchal societies, and, we are constantly working against a double standard in almost every aspect. 
When I was scrolling through your Instagram, I came across a caption that pinched my curiosity under one of your posts: “Everything I do is for my inner 12 year old Arab girl who didn’t think she could”. Could you elaborate on whether this statement refers to your own personal limitations or those imposed by your cultural upbringing? 
I mean, you would agree. Any brown girl would agree. We did not see ourselves represented. We did not think that very many things were possible for us. It was really, difficult growing up around the time that we grew up because like, there was nothing to look up to, no blueprint or anyone to aspire to or follow. Now, I love this girl on TikTok who’s literally slaying it. Like, she is the mummy blogger of all mummy bloggers. Her name’s Vidya. She is absolutely amazing. Like, that’s what I mean by representation. Not representation is in like, oh, here’s a token. No. This is like, here we are embedded into these cultures and societies and places that you never saw us before. And it’s so inspiring to see. I had so many limitations on myself growing up because I just carried a lot of shame, and I carried a lot of, self-esteem issues. That kind of minimised what I thought I could do and what I thought was possible for me. So, yeah, everything I do is for her. It’s for that little girl.
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Making that little girl proud, it’s this incredible feeling of validation that appears once you start to bring down the walls you once feared. It’s the beginning of every healing journey, and to me, the best form of empowerment – do you agree?
Exactly that’s how you heal your inner child. You do things that you never thought you could do. You go to places you never thought you could be.
What role did fashion play in your childhood? Can you share how you initially became interested in fashion? Are there any specific influences, like your mother’s style, magazines you flipped through, or perhaps any films that sparked your interest?
Of course. It was a combination of factors. I would be leafing through every magazine I could find at hair salons. I’m very lucky that there was also an appreciation for fashion around me from a young age. There was a cultivation of value in things that are well produced and well made, I was taught at a very young age not to, if I got twenty dollars, not to go out and buy twenty things, but to find one very special thing to spend twenty dollars on. Those were lessons that were taught to us when we got Christmas money or birthday money or anything like that. As I got older, my very first profound experience took place at a Saks Fifth Avenue. Rest in peace. They’re about to go under, I think. We will not be having any more Saks Fifth Avenues in the world, but, it was at a Saks Fifth Avenue, and I had gone off on my own. I was old enough to just window shop on my own until, you know, we were ready to go. And I went into the Oscar de la Renta section not knowing what the fuck that was. I was thirteen years old, and despite my apparent cluelessness this really sweet sales associate let me try this beautiful, twelve-thousand-dollar dress. I’m sure that I still had my school backpack and everything, but she let me live that fantasy. 
That’s so nice.
I think that was a core memory which really changed the trajectory of my life and the way I viewed fashion. From then on, I became obsessed with every red carpet event. Watching the Oscars Ceremony and seeing someone dressed in Elie Saab would get me so excited because that felt like representation – we had a place in the realm. Even though an Arab girl wasn’t on the red carpet, someone there was wearing an Arab designer, and that made me proud. 
Elie Saab, the epitome of Middle Eastern couture. 
No. Literally. Oh my god. He’s a national treasure. He’s like Fairuz.
Do you have any favourite fashion magazines or sources you regularly follow nowadays? Or do you find yourself more inclined to platforms like TikTok for fashion inspiration?
I find most of my inspiration online. The magazines that I choose to buy are not the monthly issued ones, I’m more inclined to pick up a biannual or quarterly publication. If I’m buying a magazine, I’m going to keep it amongst my things forever, so I’ll buy any magazine if the right person is on the cover. I have every Cillian Murphy cover for the last year and a half.
Did you get the last one?
The GQ one? I had to. I ordered it. I haven’t received it yet.
That’s a cover I’m also hunting for. 
It’s so good. Like, the Kirsten Stewart, Rolling Stone cover, I have to get that too. That’s definitively how I choose the magazines that I collect.
Have there been any particular artists or artistic movements that significantly influenced your creative vision growing up?
I’m going to answer that very broadly as it’s not really one specific one, but the surrealism movement is something that has always called to me, and I think that’s probably from doing acid in high school.
What about your mood boards, is there anyone who pops-up continuously or comes to mind straightaway? 
Imaan Hammam lives on every single one of my mood boards. Bianca Censori lives on every single one of my mood boards. Okay. It’s a little all over the place. I would say I’m really inspired by Bella Hadid’s creativity, she always looks comfortable. Some people might think it doesn’t always hit, but it fucking hits because she’s strutting around confident as fuck, and that’s all that matters when you’re putting an outfit together. She feels good in that, and that’s what makes it hit. Who the fuck cares if she’s mixing different patterns from head to toe? Like, whatever she’s doing, I want that. Yeah.
Are there any specific trends or moods you’re currently following? 
No, not at all, I don’t really buy into trends because it always looks like I’m wearing a costume when I try to wear something trendy. I don’t, there’s a lot of girls who kill trends, they get it, they know how to execute it. I’m not one of those girls. I’m much more comfortable and confident in something a little bit more, evergreen. But, no. The only fashion rule I have is not to mix slogans.
Would you ever experiment, with a stylist, or have you ever thought about it?
Absolutely. Absolutely. But I love to shop.
So, you wouldn’t give up that role to anyone else?
No. It’s not that. I would love to experiment with stylists. I think that I’ve had so much fun when I’ve worked with, like Jamie-Maree in Paris back when we did a little thing for Jean Paul Gaultier and Y/Project when they had their collaboration. I prefer to work with stylists in that context, when it comes to my everyday street style, I prefer to just go in my closet and wear something comfortable.
I’ve always been curious about your nail polish. I’ve noticed that you consistently have your nails painted white. Is there a specific reason behind it?
It literally matches with everything. I’ve been doing it for, like, ten years. I always do nude or white because there’s nothing that bothers me more than doing a fun nail colour and then wanting to wear an outfit and being bothered by the colours not matching. With white, you see it no matter what. I always try and do something neutral, and that’s neutral to me.
Transitioning from the adult film industry to the fashion world must have involved a significant shift in your audience demographics. Can you describe how your experience has differed when engaging with predominantly male audiences in the past compared to now, where you’re interacting with a much more diverse and potentially female-dominated audience? 
Well, that was very much on purpose. For real.
It wasn’t an organic shift?  
Actually, that took a lot of work. Thanks for noticing. I really wanted to stop cultivating a male audience, so I had to stop doing things in male dominated fields. I really love sports, I love sports so much, and that will never go away. Nonetheless, hosting a sports show on Complex, doing weekly fantasy football bets, joining public fantasy football leagues, streaming basketball commentary on Twitch, all of these things cultivate a male dominated audience. And even though I was good at them, they were fun, and I made a little money here and there. I decided to actively stop taking those jobs once I decided to fully dedicate myself to my other fields of interest, which are, film, music, fashion, all of these things that have more of a diverse audience. It’s not like I was learning anything new to try and enter a new sphere. I’m a multifaceted human being, which means I have very many different interests. I’m so thankful – I mean, it’s been an uphill climb, and it’s taken a lot of work, but I’m really glad that I made that decision because I wasn’t as happy with that male audience. I love the audience that I have now. I love getting to know them. I love learning from them.
Do you believe that your mental health has seen improvements as a result of this change? How has this shift in demographics influenced your overall well-being?
Well, yes and no. I feel like there’s a lot of other factors that affect my mental health, a lot of outside influences aside from a shift in demographics because, I’ve gone through ups and downs even since this divergence in my career and audience. But, it has definitely made being on the Internet more fun. Like, it got to the point once where I was like, okay. I have a Twitch stream today – and I would be fucking dreading it all day, I did not want to see the chat, and I wasn’t happy doing the things I was doing. Whereas now, I get butterflies while getting ready for a show. I get excited. I love being around my entire team who get to experience it. There isn’t that anxious feeling anymore, and if there is, we know we’re not doing something right.
Let’s delve into the fun side of fashion then – you know, the glamorous, surreal moments of fashion week. Is there a standout memory from any fashion week that makes you go, wow, I can’t believe that happened? You know, one of those pinch-me moments?
I was going to say the Yves Saint Laurent show when the Eiffel Tower was twinkling after, but they didn’t invite me back, so I’m not going to say them. It was like, what am I doing here? What the fuck am I doing here? That’s alI I’ll say. I will say that. You can keep all that in. Hopefully, you’ll get them to invite me back. That was such a surreal moment, and we were all together after the show, surrounded by Nadia Lee Cohen to our right, and Juergen Teller to our left, and I’m just like, Gaspar Noé was in front of us! We were all just like, oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! Gaspar Noé! 
Did you get a chance to speak with him? 
Yes! Yes! I went up to him and said, I’m so sorry. I have to say, I love you. Can I take a photo with you, please? He was kind enough to take a photo with me. Juergen, on the other hand could not care less. He could not give two fucks.
Working alongside Juergen Teller must have been an unforgettable experience, especially considering his unconventional approach to fashion photography. Can you share any standout moments or anecdotes from your shoot with him for your collaboration with Aries?
Yes, how efficient he is! It was the best, so easy. You get in the clothes, there’s no hair and makeup, which I fucking love, actually. There isn’t any hair and makeup at all with him, which is always great because the worst part of any photoshoot is sitting in hair and makeup for hours. But then, there was also no lighting, and that’s when I got scared. You can fix no hair and makeup with good lighting, but…
Oh, no.
That was really, really scary. For a moment, I thought, oh my god. I know he likes to bring out the rawness in people, and I was a little scared. But in the end, I love those pictures. I feel so confident. They’re some of my favourite pictures to date, and he’s really intimidating, but he’s really nice. You just have to remember he’s German.
Do you have a fashion week after-party you never miss? It’s a significant part of the fashion week culture, and I wanted to know if there’s one event that stands out to you as a must-go to.
I’ve never stayed. I’ve always shown up to after parties right as doors open. I’ve never stayed for more than twenty minutes at anyone’s ever.
It’s just a no from you then? 
I always have to wake up early the next day. I don’t perform well without sleep. I need my sleep. Shows start as soon as ten in the morning, which means you have to get in hair and makeup at, like, seven-thirty or eight. 
What happened before Schiaparelli this season? I saw you posted you were late to the show on your Instagram.
Oh my god. Okay. So, you know when you zip up something. Yeah?
Okay? 
And then like the entire zipper just opens?
To my misfortune, yes, I think we can all relate.
That happened with my dress! It’s not something that could be hidden because even if it could be hidden, it changes the entire shape of the dress. There was no keeping it together. So they had to sew me into it stitch by stitch. Like, picture this, I’m holding the dress, Sara’s daughter is holding the middle, she’s stitching the zip onto the dress. Meanwhile my makeup artist is stitching the hood onto my head. Oh my god. It actually wasn’t that stressful as there wasn’t much we could do. 
The shows often run late, creating that perpetual hope of making it on time. 
They are always late! And it started late, it started a full like, thirty-three minutes late, and we were two minutes shy before they closed the doors. Yeah. That hurt, that really hurt, and you know why, it was because it was garbage day in that area.
Stepping out of the car and running to the show is no longer a viable option when you’re dressed in full glam and heels.
No way. No. I’m wearing. No. No. No. No. Special edition Tom Ford heels? No. I was not willing to.
What about Mugler? I saw that you also sat the show this season. 
Holy shit. Sara and I were sitting right next to each other. I could feel the chills through her jacket, and she could feel mine. It was theatrics. That was cunt. That was the purest form of cunt I have ever seen in my life. You could tell that they prioritise the video and digital content, but it didn’t detract from seeing it in person. The drones and the cameras were part of the theatrics; it was insane. Mugler is taking over the world.
Is there any specific show you are looking forward to attend or request next season? 
I mean, there are not too many crimes that I would not commit to go to an Alaïa show. Who is it? There’s got to be someone on the communications team that needs someone killed. I’ll do it for them.
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Moving away from attending shows, let’s talk about your runway debut at London Fashion Week. You walked down the runway for Knwls last season. How did you prepare for this opportunity? Did you watch fashion shows in advance? If so, who inspired you as a model, and do you have a favourite walk?
It’s really funny you asked that because I had a couple friends over for dinner after London Fashion Week, and my friend Jonathan wanted to show us something on YouTube. He opens up my YouTube app and goes to search. My entire search history comes up, and it’s like, Runway Walking Tutorial, How to Walk Like a Runway Model, Best Runway Walks of All Time, and everyone just started clowning me. Everyone started to laugh. So, yes, I very much did prepare the traditional way. I watched a lot of  – and not to say that I thought I could emulate them, but I just wanted to see what it was that separated, a runway walk from, like, a normal human, just a human being walk. My favourite top model, it’s two of them – Imaan Hammam, obviously, and, Yasmin Wijnaldum. When she walked in front of me at Mugler, that’s when I thought, god, you can take me now. I’ve seen it all. I saw Imaan walk in front of me at Moschino, and I saw Yasmin at Mugler. I’ll walk into oncoming traffic right after this. Just get it over with.
You generated one of the highest media values during London Fashion Week, according to marketing agencies Lefty and Launchmetrics you followed Thai actor, singer and model Bright as the second highest earned media values. With the digital landscape evolving rapidly, fashion commentators argue that engagement is the new currency. In an era where social media presence often dictates success, what are your thoughts on this shift in dynamic?
Yes and no. Many things go viral, but if they’re going viral for the wrong reasons, is it really converting into sales, or are people just talking about you? What do you value at the end of the day? Is it just buzz and, you know, estimated media value, or is it actually the numbers that reflect in sales afterwards? So, I think it’s either or depending on the brand and what they value.
Any survival tips for content creators at fashion week?
Yeah, definitely, don’t overcommit to things that don’t genuinely excite you. I repeat do not do more than what you’re excited about. Obviously, if there’s a cheque involved, do whatever you want, and whatever you can. But, you know, just prioritise the things that are really exciting and really fun. It makes it so easy.
I always find myself swept up in the whirlwind of fashion week, and amidst the chaos of being on time and having to move around town, sometimes I forget to eat – a cardinal sin, I know. But there are a few spots I revisit in every city I travel to. I’m a romantic, and I love that feeling of nostalgia. Do you have any favourite restaurants you like to frequent while you’re in Paris? 
I do not. Of course, I don’t. Are you kidding? I’m in Paris. I’m not going to forget to get a croissant, or a steak tartare, and of course some delicious Lebanese food from Rimal. I love Rimal. That’s my favourite.
Do you believe that the fashion community has played a role in filling the void experienced when facing disapproval and judgment from your culture and community? Does receiving recognition from figures such as Marc Jacobs or Juergen Teller assist in easing the generational guilt?
I think it’s a little bit of both. It’s ingrained in our system to always feel like we need that external validation, yes, it does feel extremely validating to have a cosigned by Juergen Teller or Marc Jacobs, especially after being shunned from certain communities and places for so long. It feels like I have taken a lot of steps forward, and it also feels good to be that representation that I didn’t have, and to hear that feedback from my fans. That’s the best part of it all.
Do you have a favourite fashion week? London, Paris, Milan – each city has its own charm and identity. If I had to guess, London’s rebellious, edgy and individualistic spirit might have captured your heart, while Paris exudes glamour and tradition. But I’m curious, which of these fashion capitals resonates with you the most?
I am dying to do Copenhagen fashion week, and I think that will end up being my favourite.
Do you see yourself in the runway ever again?
I hope so, oh my god, I hope so. Although I don’t see myself as a model obviously, but more as a girl that gets to model occasionally.
Recently, you were featured in Y/Project’s star-studded look-book, just before Kanye West. It must definitively make that twelve year old girl proud, especially considering how far you’ve come from the days when you may not have seen yourself represented in such spaces.
That’s insane, literally insane. I don’t care if it is, but I checked Vogue Runway. We are next to each other on Vogue Runway. Being involved in this project was so fun, it was so crazy, and just the way it happened was very, surreal – it was a three hour notice before they needed me there. That’s how it happened – I was already on a shoot but I thought, we can make that happen, right? 
From one shoot to another – ambitious, I’m glad traffic didn’t get in your way.
It wasn’t that much of a rush, but I almost passed out when Glenn Martens was putting an earring on me! He was actually there, and he was so fucking nice, and that’s what took me aback the most. I kept thinking, what is happening right now?
I noticed you’ve been labelled as a creator in this campaign. If you were at a dinner table and someone asked about your profession, how would you respond?
I always talk about the two things I’m the most passionate about, the things excite me the most. When someone’s asking me what you do for work, it’s usually because there’s going to be a conversation that ensues. It’s about what I want to talk about, what I’m most excited and passionate about right now,  and I always end up answering with jewellery designer and creator. So that’s the two things that I spend all of my time doing. Sara and I are designing, planning, doing everything we can do for Sheytan, or I’m working on my social media, my TikTok. All of that falls under creator to me. So those are the two things that I would label myself as because those are the two things that I am currently passionate about. 
You mentioned Sheytan, your jewellery brand, which translates to devil in English. You stirred some controversy with that name. Was there a specific reason or message you wanted to convey when choosing a name with such a provocative connotation? Or was it more of a case of wanting to do it because, well, fuck it, why not?
Well, I’m an Arab woman who feels a very close connection to the historical aspects of body jewellery, and I’m making it in a modern way. But I’m also creating a world around that which includes thongs, micro bikinis and boxers, like, all of these things that are considered haram. I love All Amin. I think she’s based in Berlin, but she’s a Kurdish artist with a sustainable fashion brand called Haram. And, yeah, it’s that tongue in cheek, that reclamation. What is the far right, what are people who are already pissed off at anything I do going to call it? They’re going to call it haram, and they’re going to call me a working of the devil. I’m going to beat them to it because I have such a close connection with the name, that anyone who takes offence to it is someone who has very conservative ideologies to begin with, and that’s not who I’m making it for. So, it doesn’t matter to me. They’re going to be pissed off at anything I do. They’re going to be pissed off that I haven’t killed myself yet. Like, I’m not going to make these people happy.
Gold holds immense cultural and historical significance in the lives of Middle Eastern women, often symbolising wealth, status, and tradition. I’m curious to learn more about how this cultural symbolism has influenced your ethos and thematic direction for Sheytan.
Absolutely. However it’s not just about displaying wealth and status. I believe there’s a profound emphasis and appreciation for gold in Middle Eastern culture. You’ll even find little girls in impoverished communities adorned with gold ear piercings from a very young age. The first gift given to a newborn girl is often a tiny gold bracelet. So, across the board, gold holds a special place in our culture.
I was digging into your ventures and stumbled upon your collaboration with Wiz Khalifa for Khalifa Kush products. I must say, I loved it! How did this collaboration come about, and what was the process behind closed doors? I’m genuinely intrigued by the back-story here. Who has the higher tolerance between you two? It’s a question I’m sure a lot of people are curious about, considering your shared affinity for the green. My bet’s on you, though – women usually have a higher tolerance for everything, don’t we?
Oh my god. it’s him! Of course, it’s him. I met him through a mutual friend who’s actually the CEO of of Khalifa Kush. He’s also from my hometown in Maryland. So, I had been talking to him for a while before I ever met or spoke to Wiz. We all thought that there was something that we could all do together that wasn’t necessarily just, you know, a collaboration just because, my name is also Khalifa. We wanted it to be something that actually meant something. When I met Wiz, we were both in town by chance, and DJ Saul put an incredible tasting menu together. We all met up. We tasted a bunch of different strains. We hung out. We talked for a bit, and it was great. It felt like a great fit, something natural to pursue. That’s what that meeting was to see and explore the possibility of doing something under the Khalifa Kush umbrella.
We live in a society that still harbours many stigmas around weed, especially when it comes to women. Your openness about cannabis use is refreshing, how you navigate these societal norms and stigmas. How do you deal with the stereotypes and judgments associated with being a woman who embraces cannabis?
I don’t experience it very much, it’s a lot more open minded in United States. I feel like people who look down on me for smoking weed, me or any woman smoking weed, it goes back to the fact that they are already in a conservative mindset and therefore their opinion is irrelevant to me. There is nothing that I, or any girl that chooses to live outside of those conservative constraints can do to make them happy. So, those opinions don’t matter to me, anyone who is open minded and liberal and of the audience I want to cultivate isn’t going to look down on women smoking weed. Like, that’s not something that matters to them.
Your friendship with Malala. It’s like witnessing two worlds come together in unexpected harmony. I think your interactions online are epic. 
You don’t understand. You thought it was epic. Only at this time and age can Malala and Mia Khalifa exist in the same world and also interact and call each other besties on X and TikTok. That is my girl. I love Malala so much. That’s my bestie.
Do you ever think you’ll have the chance to meet her in person? 
Oh my god. I would love to. If I’m ever in the same room as her, I don’t think I would be, no. I admire her. So, all jokes aside, I would never call her bestie to her face. I would call her madam, I would call her my queen, I would call her your majesty.
In today’s world of endless possibilities, who knows what could happen? It’s almost like a plot twist waiting to unfold! Imagine the buzz if someone orchestrated a meeting between you two.
Please bring me and Malala together.
You’ve been outspoken about your journey in the adult film industry, shedding light on the often–hidden realities of exploitation and grooming. Considering your insights and experiences, how do you perceive the rise of platforms such as OnlyFans?
I would never encourage someone to join OnlyFans. I would never speak on it as a good option or alternative. But I think that for someone who already has a digital footprint on the Internet, I think it’s one of the better options because you are in control of what you create. There are no exploitative and predatory companies and production houses behind the scenes. Yes. Obviously, OnlyFans is a corrupt organisation. They aren’t the best. But it’s not corrupt in the same way, you are in charge of your own autonomy so it doesn’t have a direct impact that has a direct effect on the women who are on it. It’s much more up to them and what they do, which is an issue that I feel like we can tie back to any company. I’m scared to Google this water bottle because I don’t know what I’m supporting just inherently by supporting them. That’s the level of predatory that I see OnlyFans as – I don’t encourage its use but I think it’s a much better option for women who are already in the industry. It’s safer, it’s better, and, most importantly, it takes away that layer of  human error that can occur when you’re dealing with something so sensitive as sex work. 
The Internet, it’s almost synonymous with perpetuity. Every post, video, or comment can potentially live on indefinitely.
Yes. It is forever. Fine line that people have to be careful about. 
Speaking of being careful online, many have criticised your outspoken stance on Palestine, suggesting that as a public figure, you should remain neutral on political issues. How do you respond to these criticisms?
I don’t. I don’t respond or listen to it at all. I don’t remain neutral in situations of injustice. We all know how that goes. No. I don’t respond to that nonsense whatsoever. Also, this isn’t new, I’ve been talking about Palestine ever since I’ve been on the Internet. This isn’t new at all.
You’ve endured an overwhelming amount of hostility, from ISIS death threats to online harassment and even hate songs advocating for your death due to your stance on Palestine. How do you manage to navigate through such intense negativity, and what strategies have you developed to channel this into motivation for your success?
That was insane. Well, at the beginning of everything six months ago, I did not handle it very well. I got very depressed, I really only survived because I have such an incredibly strong sense of support around me, between my friends and, the people in my community here in Miami. I felt like that’s the only reason I survived. Looking back, that was a really difficult time, but everything, all of the fallout after that, the hate song and everything that came after that just felt like – I mean, is Bella Hadid losing sleep over some people saying that they’re going to kill her in a song? No! So, I’m not going to. No. We’re going to take our eighteen supplements a day. We’re going to drink our sea moss gel, and we’re going to keep it moving. We’re going to light our incense, and we’re going to know that we are not enabling and supporting an ongoing genocide. And that’s why our skin is clear, ad we can sleep well at night.
What message would you like to convey to those who may not fully understand the gravity of the conflict? 
Thank you. Fuck yourselves. No. Fucking educate yourself, you moron. There’s nothing worse than being ignorant in this day and age. Read! Go read an article! Go read a book! Don’t just – What? It’s 2024, and you have basically the library of Alexandria at your fingertips. Go read a fucking article from a trusted source. 
Not TikTok, not a podcast.
Actually, TikTok might be a better option than any other platform. Depends on the newspaper you’re reading. 
We are living in a highly polarised and increasingly divided society, do you believe that fostering community is the solution moving forward? Are community-based initiatives and grassroots movements the key to addressing complex issues in the future?
Yes. Absolutely, and I think that the Democratic Party in United States is the clearest example of that. There is no one actually fighting for us because at the end of the day, we are still an arms dealer to Israel. We still value our bottom line more than anything, and that’s a bipartisan take. That’s not exclusive to the Republicans or the Democrats. It’s both of them, and it’s all of them. Grassroots organisation and community based activism is the only way to actually make change because they are not fighting for us. They are fighting for and throwing hands at that debt we owe China, and they’ll do anything to get money to pay it off. So that’s where I stand on that.
To wrap up our conversation, I genuinely think that disclosing your favourite book to someone can reveal a lot about yourself and your personality. With that in mind, here is my last question for you. If you were to recommend one book to your fans, what would it be and why?
Oh, easy, Catcher in the Rye. I was going to say The Body Keeps the Score, but, no; my instincts say it’s Catcher in the Rye there’s nothing more angsty, everyone should read it, that’s my short answer.
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