A young woman from Iran, Sahar Tabar, became famous for getting many plastic surgeries, trying to look like Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie. People called her “Iran’s Zombie Angelina Jolie.” She faced controversy because of her extreme transformation, with reports saying she had over 50 surgeries. She posted heavily edited pictures on social media, where she had a strange appearance.
Tabar, who is 19 years old, got a lot of attention on Instagram with almost four million followers. Her account, @sahartabar_official, has been deleted. Her mother didn’t approve of her social media use and the shocking pictures. But Sahar wanted to be famous, so she continued posting.
In an interview, Sahar mentioned that the photos she posted were not her real face and that she did it as a form of self-expression and art. She claimed she didn’t aim to look like Jolie or a cartoon character. However, the confusion among her followers grew.
In October 2019, Sahar, the Zombie Angelina Jolie, was arrested for posting what the authorities considered blasphemous pictures on Instagram. She faced various charges, including buying property illegally, inciting violence, negatively influencing the youth, earning money inappropriately, and violating the country’s strict dress code for women. She was sentenced to 10 years in Qarchak Prison, known as a harsh women’s prison in Iran.
An activist, Masih Alinejad, called for Angelina Jolie to speak up for Sahar. Alinejad shared the story on social media, asking for help to free Sahar. Sahar was eventually released after serving 14 months, possibly linked to the death of another woman, Mahsa Amini, who was mistreated by Iranian police for not wearing her hijab correctly.
