Category: WOMEN

DUBAI — Mexican actress Melissa Barrera opened up about how she felt after facing backlash in Hollywood over her comments on the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Speaking to The Independent, Barrera said “it was the darkest and hardest year of my life, and I had to reevaluate everything. There were times when I felt like my life was over.”

The 34-year-old actress was fired from “Scream VII” after she took to social media to call for a ceasefire and criticised Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas. As of Nov. 27, 2024, the death toll in Gaza has reached 44,200, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

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“Gaza is currently being treated like a concentration camp,” she wrote in an Instagram story in October 2023. “This is genocide and ethnic cleansing.” In another post, she complained about the supposed bias in Western media reporting, saying: “Western media only shows the other side … why they do that, I will let you deduce for yourself. We don’t need more hate. No Islamophobia. No antisemitism.”

Spyglass, the studio behind the latest Scream films, dropped Barrera from the franchise in response. “We have zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion or anything that flagrantly crosses the line into hate speech,” the company said in a statement.

Barrera says she then faced almost a year of difficulties in Hollywood.

“It was quiet for like 10 months,” Barrera told The Independent about her acting jobs. “I was still getting offers for small things here and there – I’m not going to lie and say there was nothing – but (the message) was, ‘Oh, she probably doesn’t have work, she’ll say yes to anything.’”

Instead, the actress spent much of 2024 promoting the films she made before the incident, including horror comedy “Abigail” and musical “Your Monster.”

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The latter sees Barrera play a soft-spoken actress who finds love again when she meets a terrifying but charming monster that lives in her closet.

The “Your Monster” script came across Barrera’s desk soon after filming “Scream VI” in 2022.

“I kept getting horror scripts, and I wasn’t getting a lot of the really exciting parts I was auditioning for,” she told the newspaper of why she jumped at the role. “I would get (roles) that I wasn’t excited about, and I’ve never been a person that just wants to work for work’s sake. I give so much of myself to acting that if a part of me feels like it’s not worth it, I’m (going to) be miserable.”

AN

DUBAI — A renowned Lebanese journalist has taken to social media platform X to announce her departure from MTV following alleged death threats believed to have been made by supporters of Hezbollah.

Not mentioning the Iran-backed group by name, Dr. Eman Shweikh, a TV presenter at MTV, journalist and university professor, wrote: “I decided to leave MTV because of the intimidations that reached the point of death threats and the harassment that I am exposed to, which reached the point of following me home and chasing me on the road, in addition to harassing my family.”

The Samir Kassir Eyes Center reported that since Nov. 12 Shweikh had been subjected to a campaign of threats, incitement and accusations of treason due to her political opinions that she publishes on X, and because of her work for MTV.

The purported threats and harassment prompted her to leave her job at the channel.

The TV presenter added in her tweet: “The (Lebanese) state is absent, and laws are inexistent, and I do not want to expose my life and the lives of my family to danger. I want to live in safety and peace. Thank you to the Chairman of the Board of Directors of MTV Michel Murr.”

Shweikh’s tweet received thousands of likes and hundreds of retweets and comments.

Replying to her tweet, advocate Tarek Chindeb said: “The threat to kill journalist Eman Shweikh makes us believe at every moment that we cannot build a state in Lebanon in the presence of illegal weapons and militias outside accountability.”

Expressing solidarity, Chindeb hoped that the Lebanese security and judicial authorities would do their duty to protect her, and arrest the culprits.

Political analyst Magdi Khalil also replied to Shweikh’s tweet, saying: “Ideological militias do not know participation, but rather overpowering. They do not know dialogue, but rather the threat of violence.”

MTV journalist Nawal Berry and cameraman Dany Tanios were attacked in July while attempting to cover the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburb, a Hezbollah stronghold.

It was not the first time Berry and her team had been assaulted by Hezbollah loyalists. During the early days of the Oct. 17 revolution in 2019, she and her team faced a violent attack and had their camera smashed.

Supporters of Hezbollah have a history of assaulting and threatening journalists.
Targets have included Layal Alekhtiar, who received death threats in 2021 and faced legal action last year for interviewing an Israeli spokesperson; Dima Sadek; Ali Al-Amin; and others.
At the time of publishing, Shweikh could not be reached for comment.

AN, Nov 16, 2024

RIYADH — In a session at lifestyle conference Hia Hub, Egyptian actress Yasmine Sabri opened up about her life beyond the glitz and glamour of her career. Known for her on screen talent, Sabri took the opportunity to share lesser-known insights about her personal journey, her inspirations, and her views on self-improvement.

Hia Hub is taking place in Riyadh’s JAX district and featured discussions, masterclasses, workshops, interactive exhibitions and live performances. The event wraps up on Nov. 3.

During her talk, Sabri, who has a series of blockbuster Arabic films under her belt and is also a global brand ambassador for French label Cartier, expressed her admiration for Saudi women.

“They embody a spirit of determination that inspires me,” the 36-year-old remarked, before reflecting on her formative years.

Sabri recounted her dedication to swimming, a passion she pursued until the age of 18. “Swimming taught me discipline,” she said. “I used to swim before school and after at night, and we didn’t have the option to say, ‘I don’t want to.’” This commitment not only shaped her physical abilities but also instilled a strong work ethic that she carries into her acting career, she said.

Mental fortitude also emerged as a key topic during the discussion. Sabri emphasized the importance of competing with oneself, stating, “I’m grateful and I always compete with myself on a daily basis. One should always stay hungry and be competitive with oneself.”

The actress kicked off her career in 2013 and went on to star in such films as “Abo Nasab” and “El Diesel.”

Often spotted on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet, as well as at film festivals across the Middle East, the actress is known for her style and her makeup. The actress told the crowd at Hia Hub she is preparing to segway into entrepreneurship with the launch of her own beauty brand, Pose Beauty.

Although details about the brand are being kept under wraps, Sabri would join the likes of Lebanese actress Nadine Nassib Njeim who launched her eponymous beauty brand in May.

AN

NEW YORK — Maria Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam singles champion known for plenty of on-court grit and off-court attention, and Bob and Mike Bryan, twins who won a record 16 major titles in men’s doubles together, are first-ballot selections for the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

The Newport, Rhode Island-based Hall announced the Class of 2025 on Thursday.

Sharapova won at least one championship at each of her sport’s four most prestigious events, making her one of 10 women in tennis history to complete a career Grand Slam, and she was the first Russian woman to reach No. 1 in the WTA singles rankings. She retired in 2020 at age 32 after a career that included 15 years in the spotlight, a 15-month doping ban and multiple operations on her right shoulder.

In a message posted on social media, Sharapova called herself “incredibly grateful to receive this honor.”

The Bryan brothers also compiled a career Grand Slam and spent 438 weeks at No. 1 in the ATP doubles rankings. They won a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics and helped the United States win the 2007 Davis Cup title; Bob is currently the captain of the American team that will go to Malaga, Spain, for next month’s finals to compete for the country’s first triumph in that competition since then.

Mike Bryan — he’s right-handed, and his brother is a lefty — is the career leader with 18 major men’s doubles trophies overall; he got two with Jack Sock while Bob was injured in 2018.

“We are truly humbled and grateful to receive this honor. Though making it to Newport was never our goal, being included among so many of our idols and role models is incredibly special,” Bob Bryan wrote in a text message to The Associated Press on Thursday. “Mike and I continue to be best friends, and we feel lucky to have been able to ride this tennis rollercoaster together.”

Sharapova became an instant star when she won her first major title at Wimbledon in 2004 at age 17 by beating Serena Williams in the final, then collected the trophies at the US Open in 2006, the Australian Open in 2008 and the French Open in 2012 and 2014.

Sharapova helped Russia win the team competition now known as the Billie Jean King Cup in 2008, and she claimed a silver medal in singles at the 2012 Olympics, losing to Williams in the final.

All the while, Sharapova earned millions of dollars more in endorsement deals than prize money.

“There are a couple of sides of me,” Sharapova said in an interview with the AP in 2006, shortly before she won the title at Flushing Meadows. “There’s the Maria that’s a tennis player. There’s the Maria that is a normal girl. And there’s the Maria who’s a businesswoman. And that’s where the ‘Maria Sharapova brand’ comes into play.”

At the 2016 Australian Open, Sharapova tested positive for the newly banned drug meldonium and initially was handed a two-year suspension. After appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Sharapova was given a reduced penalty when it was determined that she bore “less than significant fault” in the case and could not “be considered to be an intentional doper.”

The Bryans and Sharapova will be inducted in August.

“We are thankful to so many people who supported us along the way, and we look forward to sharing this moment with them next year,” Bob Bryan wrote. ”Our parents created a magical environment at their club and made tennis fun for us. They helped us fall in love with the game, so tennis never felt like work; it was always play.”

Daniel Nestor, a Canadian who won 12 Grand Slam titles in men’s or mixed doubles, did not receive the 75 percenet of the vote required to qualify for the Hall in balloting among members of the media, historians, Hall of Fame members, industry experts and fans. This was his third — and final — year as a candidate.

AN-AP

DUBAI — Fifty of the world’s best female drivers from 25 countries will battle it out in the first Formula Woman Global Nations Cup qualifying round at the Dubai Autodrome on Dec. 12.

Each will be hoping to make it through to the inaugural Formula Woman Global Nations Cup, which will also be hosted by Dubai in May 2025. Additional races are also planned around the world next year.

Formula Woman, the world’s first all-female motorsport community and is already proving a great success. Its 5,000 members range from beginners with a passion for motorsport to seasoned racers, and it has attracted interest from the industry and global media.

The series aims to tap into the huge pool of talent and passion for motorsport among women, with the ultimate target being an all-female team in the world-famous 24-Hour Le Mans endurance race.

Four drivers — Sofia Necci, Amal Al-Mheiri, Darcy Mead and Manon Robillard — will represent the host nation, UAE. Also competing from the region are Saudi Arabia’s Farrah Al-Yousef, Lebanon’s Stephanie Hobeika, Qatar’s Nuha Koghali and India’s Manisha Ram Kelkar.

Formula Woman is the brainchild of founder and CEO Graeme Glew, a former race driver and Formula One executive who wants women to have the chance to compete at the highest levels of motorsport.

“We’re so excited to come to Dubai to give race fans there, and around the globe, the opportunity to see what our fabulously talented women drivers are capable of,” he said.

“We know that there is a reservoir of female driving stars out there just waiting to show the world what they can do, and Formula Woman will give them the opportunity. The fantastic racetrack at Dubai Autodrome is the perfect setting for this first step in what we believe will be a revolution in motorsport.”

Glew is supported by a highly experienced team of seasoned professionals, dedicated to building the profile of women in motorsport, with additional events planned around next year and beyond.

AN

DUBAI — The Saudi-Italian model talks style, holidays and good and bad advice.

Best TV show or film you’ve ever seen?   

I’m definitely a “Game of Thrones” fan. I’ve rewatched it more than five times. I love it. I also love “White Lotus.” I think that is a great show. I would say my favorite movie is “City of God.”

Worst TV show/film you’ve ever seen? 

That’s a tough one. I would say “The Idol.” It’s not a good show, but it is, like, so bad that you want to watch more of it. 

Best personal style moment so far?   

I’m the kind of person that dresses for comfort. That’s my number one priority. So whenever I dress up, for, like, a wedding or for an event, it feels special. I think those are my best outfit moments. I wore a really beautiful, blue gown to my uncle’s wedding, and I felt very myself, you know? Very fairy. I really loved it. 

Worst personal style moment?   

I was a very nerdy looking kid. I used to wear massive pink aviator velvet glasses. Even though I respect my younger self for going for it, that wasn’t a cute look. 

Best accessory for a little black dress?   

It depends on what you’re going for. But, I think, even if I am going for something a bit more casual, a little black bag would be perfect.

Worst accessory for a little black dress?   

The opposite: A big bag. I don’t see that working for me. But, again, it just depends on what you’re going for.

Best fashion trend of 2024?   

I love how we’ve started to normalize mixing different wears together. Like, mixing elegant with casual. Some people like to mix formal wear with street style; I think that’s one of my favorite things I’ve seen. I really enjoy it. It gives people liberty to express themselves.

Worst fashion trend of 2024?   

I do not enjoy chunky shoes. I might have enjoyed them when it first started, but they’re just not very wearable at the end of the day. That’s one trend that I don’t enjoy anymore. 

Best advice you’ve ever been given?  

Treat others the way you want to be treated. That’s stayed with me my whole life. And, recently, something that I really appreciated that I heard in a movie was: “It’s better to regret doing something than to regret doing nothing.” I think that’s really true! 

Worst advice you’ve ever been given?

That you’re better off doing something yourself, by yourself. I feel like learning or asking for help is a really important skill to have. Like, you don’t have to do anything on your own. It’s a sign of courage to ask for help as well, and it shows that you want to learn. 

Best book you’ve ever read?   

“The Prophet” by Khalil Gibran. The second I read it, I knew it would not be the last time I read it. The book is so beautiful in the original language. It was written in Arabic, and it has been translated. The translation is also really good. I love that book. I think there’s so much to be learned from it. I didn’t want it to end. It was the type of book that puts you in a good mental state and I just wanted to be in that mental state for as long as possible.

Worst book you’ve ever read?  

I remember as a kid reading really bad horror books. I would, like, cringe while reading. So yeah, I would say really cheesy horror books. 

Best thing to do when you’re feeling low?  

Well, you have things that help you in the moment and things that will help you in the long term. When I’m feeling down, I’ve realized that meditating and reflecting is the thing that will help me get out of that state. But in the moment, to distract myself, just blasting music would help me to block things out.

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Worst thing to do when you’re feeling good?   

Taking things for granted and not being grateful for being in that place and trying to maintain that state of mind. It’s like your health; when you’re sick, you cannot wait to feel better, and when you do, you don’t appreciate your health.

Best holiday destination?   

If I want to relax, then anywhere by the sea. I also love Japan. And I thought Mauritius was a beautiful place because they have a lot of cultures there. Generally, though, it has to be somewhere really sunny, because I cannot stand the cold.

Worst holiday destination?   

Anywhere that’s polluted. It’s just not enjoyable.

Best subject at school?   

Languages. I was really good at my English classes and my Arabic classes. I also really loved — and I really excelled in — psychology.

Worst subject at school?   

To be honest, I enjoyed studying a lot; it was something that my parents instilled in me from when I was really young. So I didn’t really have a very bad subject, but my weakest would probably be math. 

Best thing to do to ensure you have a productive day?  

Plan ahead the night before. Have some idea of what you want to get doneAnd also, start your day right. Meditating or working out just starts off your day on a high note. I’ve realized that even if the other half of my day is not as good as the start, it still feels like a productive day. 

Worst thing to do when you’re trying to have a productive day? 

Doom scrolling is the worst. That’s a killer of productivity.   

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AN-Oct 18, 2024

DUBAI — Penyanyi AS Joe Jonas dilihat menikmati hari pantai di Greece bersama pelakon Lubnan Laila Abdallah ketika mereka menghadiri perasmian One&Only Aesthesis di Athens bersama-sama selebriti lain.

Tembakan paparazi mencetuskan pemburuan internet antarabangsa untuk Abdallah, yang sebelum ini dikenal pasti oleh majalah di seluruh dunia sebagai “si rambut coklat misteri,” menurut Daily Mail.

Pasangan itu tidak menghadiri acara pembukaan bersama-sama, dan bergaul dengan tetamu berprofil tinggi lain, termasuk bekas Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach, pelakon Welsh Luke Evans, pereka Perancis Olivier Rousteing dan ikon pop Australia Kylie Minogue, antara lain.

Tetapi paparazi di resort itu hanya tertumpu kepada Jonas dan Laila, yang menikmati hari pantai pada Isnin.

Joe Jonas was seen getting close with another woman after his romance with Stormi Bree recently "cooled off" — but an insider tells Us it's not what it seems. https://t.co/7q5qvqGQe2

— Us Weekly (@usweekly) June 11, 2024

Jonas, yang memfailkan penceraian daripada pelakon Britain, Sophie Turner pada September, telah difoto berenang di laut dan berehat di pantai bersama Laila dan lain-lain.

Walaupun gambar itu mencetuskan tajuk berita antarabangsa dan spekulasi dalam kalangan peminat, kedua-dua kem tidak mengulas mengenai gambar tersebut dan menurut beberapa laporan mereka hanya kawan.

Pelakon berusia 28 tahun itu dilahirkan di Kuwait kepada ibu bapa Lubnan pada 8 Januari 1996, dan mula berlakon pada awal 2010-an, mendarat dalam siri TV Arab.

Laila boleh bercakap dalam bahasa isyarat kerana dia dibesarkan oleh ibu bapa yang pekak dan bisu. Pelakon itu adalah anak sulung daripada empat beradik dan sebelum ini bercakap dengan hos podcast Emirati Anas Bukhash mengenai tanggungjawab itu.

“Sebab saya yang paling tua antara adik-beradik saya, dan selalu saya yang melakukan segala-galanya… Maksud saya, saya menggelar diri saya sebagai orang rumah, bapa, kakak, saya segala-galanya, jadi mustahil untuk sesiapa yang melihat saya menangis, mustahil,” katanya.

Laila sebelum ini membintangi video muzik untuk penyanyi Saudi Abdul Majeed Abdullah tetapi lakonan pertamanya adalah dalam rancangan TV “Saher Al-lail” pada 2010, yang diarahkan oleh Muhammad Daham Al-Shammari. Pengarah itu juga melakonkannya dalam peranan berulang dalam sirinya “Tu Nahar.” Laila paling baru membintangi siri TV “London Class” pada tahun 2023.

Dia mempunyai lima juta pengikut di Instagram dan terkenal kerana berkongsi gambar di sebalik tabir dari perjalanan antarabangsanya, serta detik-detik permaidani merahnya — terutamanya, dia baru-baru ini melanda permaidani merah di Festival Filem Cannes pada Mei.

Pada Disember 2017, dia berkahwin dengan pelakon Iran Abdallah Abass, tetapi mereka bercerai pada 2018.

AN