Iranian ‘zombie Jolie’ arrested for blasphemy

An Iranian Instagram star, who claims to have had multiple surgeries to look like Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie, has been arrested in Tehran for blasphemy and instigating violence, the BBC said in a report. Also referred to as the ‘corpse bride,’ the 22-year-old star went viral after she claimed to have extensively undergone plastic surgeries to resemble Jolie.

The Tehran-based online celebrity has admitted to using digital effects and makeup to enhance her looks, with a shockingly distorted version of her appearing online — something she herself termed a ‘joke’ in an interview. Many social media users called her a ‘zombie’ version of the actress. She sports the bee-stung lips made famous by Jolie, sunken cheeks and a turned up nose in her online posts.

In 2017, Tabar admitted to using makeup and Photoshop, while talking to the Russian website, Sputnik.
“Every time I publish a photo, I paint my face in an increasingly funny way,’ she said.

“This is Photoshop and make-up. Every time I publish a photo, I paint my face in an increasingly funny way. It is a way of expressing yourself, a kind of art. My fans know that this is not my real face.

“Now I can see that I have something in common with (Angelina Jolie), but I amuse myself, and to look like someone is not my goal,” Tabar said.

According to the BBC, Tabar was arrested in Tehran after complaints from public over blasphemy, instigating violence, illegally acquiring property, insulting the country’s dress code and encouraging young people to commit corruption. The agency added that Iran has arrested several bloggers and influencers in an apparent crackdown.

Tehran also recently released an Australian blogger couple, Mark Firkin and Jolie King, in a prisoner swap. The two, who were in Iranian prison for three months, were documenting their journey from Australia to Britain online over the past two years. They were held for flying a drone near a military capacity without permission.