As protests over Mahsa Amini’s passing continue nationwide, Britney Spears spoke out on Sunday in support of Iranians fighting for freedom. The 40-year-old Spears wrote, “Me and my husband stand with the people of Iran fighting for freedom.” Sam Ashari, who was raised in the US as a youngster, was born in Tehran. He often shares updates on the state of Iran on his Instagram site. He attacked Iran’s “terror government” in one video.
IRNA, the state-run Iranian news agency, used Spears’ post as an occasion to remind readers that she had mental health issues and had been living under her father’s conservatorship for a while. They appear to be implying that Britney Spears is unqualified to offer any commentary on current events through this personal attack. This social media tactic could be seen as an effort by the Iranian official media to divert attention away from the violent protests and change the topic of conversation.
The similar tactic was previously used by the Iranian news agency in response to a post made by the American pop artist Shakira. The singer expressed her sympathies for Mahsa Amini’s family, Iranian women and schoolgirls, and all those battling for freedom of expression on Twitter and Instagram. The following day, IRNA released a meme alleging that Shakira was oblivious to police abuse of women in the US and Saudi Arabia.
The Iranian news agency, which reports to the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, openly attacks celebrities who use their influence on social media to decry the situation in Iran on its Twitter page. The agency asserts that they are creating “false news” by utilising their power. Shakira and Britney Spears aren’t the only celebrities to publicly support the Iranian protesters.
In addition to Olivia Coleman and Angelina Jolie, singer Justin Bieber and model Bella Hadid have all spoken out. As a show of support, some celebrities have chopped off a few locks of hair. Author Kim de l’Horizon, who is nonbinary and won the German Book Prize in 2022, took it a step farther. They shaved off all their hair during their acceptance speech in Frankfurt on October 18, 2022.