Mia Khalifa has a single piece of advice for young individuals aspiring to enter the adult film industry.
The social media influencer had a brief career in the porn industry back in 2014. At the time, she was just 21 years old and appeared in about 12 films over a three-month period before deciding to leave the industry.
Though her time in the industry was short and her earnings totaled only $12,000, Mia Khalifa became widely known, especially after a controversial video where she wore a hijab during a threesome with Julianna Vega and Sean Lawless.
This particular video attracted significant attention and led to backlash from the Muslim community, with Khalifa receiving death threats from ISIS.
Now, on The Louis Theroux Podcast, the former adult film star, whose real name is Sarah Joe Chamoun, looked back on her experiences, cautioning young women against making significant life decisions at a young age.
“The reason I used to have a lot of trouble talking about it is because I was extremely clouded by shame,” Khalifa said of her experience in the porn industry.
“I used to have a visceral reaction to even hearing the name Mia and knowing that if someone is calling me by that name, they are seeing me in a way that I don’t want to be seen in, but that had a lot more to do with my mental health than it does about the bigger picture of things.”
Khalifa revealed that it took nine years of therapy before she felt ready to make significant life decisions.
“I think that nine years of therapy is a lot and it’s not because of what I went through in the industry. It’s what I had to go through to get to a point in my life where I feel like I am of a healthy state of mind to make decisions in my life,” she said.
“And that’s how long it took me to make those decisions that are so life-changing,” she added.
She also advised young women to fully understand themselves before making major decisions, stating, “When you’re 19, 20, 21 years old, 18 most of the time, that’s what they’re hoping for, you don’t know what you’re going to want for your life or what you want out of your life.
“You don’t even know yourself that young. You should not make life-changing decisions when you’re that young,” she added.
During the podcast, Khalifa also touched on the death threats she received due to her hijab-wearing video, explaining how it has made her hesitant to visit the Middle East.
“I wouldn’t call it official,” she said of the fatwa issued against her, “but I’ve spoken to a lot of security agencies, and their recommendation is that I don’t go [to the Middle East].”
She recounted a ‘really scary’ experience from two years ago when she visited Marrakesh, Morocco. “It wasn’t because of the city,” she said.
“It was at the airport being followed to the gate and having my passport taken away from me and taking a picture [of her passport] with their iPhone, that’s what makes you feel unsafe.”