Mia Khalifa's Army Comments Resurface Amid Cancel Calls

Mia Khalifa has stirred up debate on social media after reposting her year-old comments in which she said that being in the army is "worse than OnlyFans."

The content-sharing platform allows creators to upload any kind of content, like photography, creative writing, or recipes but is also used by sex workers to produce pornography.

Former adult film star Khalifa spoke about the platform during an appearance on late-night talk show Ziwe back in July 2022, when she said that she thought that using it was better than "selling your body to the government" by serving in the military.

"So we have OnlyFans, and then we have the sex work industry, and then we have like actors," said titular host Ziwe Fumudoh. "Is there a difference between these industries or are we all fundamentally selling our bodies in some way?"

"Honestly, I think that selling your body, like if we are going by that definition, being in the army is worse than being on OnlyFans," Khalifa responded to Fumudoh. "You're selling your body to the government."

More than a year after her comments went viral, Khalifa brought the conversation back to the fore when she shared a TikTok post on X, formerly Twitter, on Veterans Day, which fell on Saturday. The clip showed Khalifa making her statement, before it cut to shot of a major sitting in a vehicle looking perturbed.

Khalifa shared the post in response to comedian Marcella Arguello, who wrote: "Who else remembers being against the Iraq war and people being like oh wow so you don't SUPPORT OUR TROOPS?!?! And then having the most dumb conversation about being anti American when you were just anti killing innocent people. Anyway this feels like that."

Arguello's comment appeared to be in response to the criticism that a number of people have faced for speaking out against Israel's bombing of Gaza.

On October 7, Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants launched a surprise attack on Israel—which saw around 1,400 Israelis killed, including many civilians, and the capture of around 240 hostages, according to the Associated Press.

Since Israel began an intensive campaign of air strikes on Gaza followed by a ground invasion, with the stated aim of eliminating Hamas, there has been outcry, as well as pro-Palestinian demonstrations across the globe. More than 10,500 people in Gaza have died since the war started, according to figures provided by the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, cited by the AP.

Israel has faced renewed calls for a ceasefire—including from the director of the World Health Organization—as it encroaches on the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City. Health officials say the building is running low on medical supplies and water, and risks losing premature babies without power. Israel says Hamas operates its command headquarters under the building and that soldiers delivered fuel to the hospital at the weekend, but it was taken by Hamas militants. Hospital staff and Hamas deny Israel's claims.

Lebanese-born Khalifa sparked debate on social media when her resurfaced comments comparing the army to OnlyFans were shared over the weekend.

"Both are terrible," responded one X user. "However one is way more respectable. Soldiers give up their human rights so you can have yours…"

"Mia is from there and gets it," said another. "And she don't give a f*** about your armed forces sanctity Kool-Aid y'all love to drink. That's rare and amazing."

At the time that Khalifa originally faced backlash for her comments, she said that both those in the military and OnlyFans models were "serving this nation."

"To everyone up in arms about my statement that being in the military is worse than being on OnlyFans 'cause you're selling your body to the gov't—we're both serving this nation!" Khalifa wrote on X. "What do you think they sent for morale back in the day? More troops, or Marilyn Monroe in a skirt???"

Khalifa was caught in controversy last month when she wrote about Palestinian "freedom fighters" in an X post hours after the October 7 Hamas attacks.

Following days of criticism, Khalifa, who has long been a vocal supporter of Palestinians, sought to clarify her comment in a follow-up statement on October 9.

"I just want to make it clear that this statement in no way shape or form is [inciting] spread of violence," she said in a since-deleted post. "I specifically said freedom fighters because that's what the Palestinian citizens are… fighting for freedom every day."

Playboy was one of two companies that quickly severed ties with Khalifa; visitors to her page on the brand's Centerfold platform are now met with a "not found" notification. Playboy announced the end of its relationship with Khalifa in an email to subscribers. It also shared with Newsweek a termination letter sent to her.

Khalifa's original message on October 7 also led to her public firing from her role as an adviser at Red Light Holland, which produces and distributes magic mushrooms.

Red Light Holland CEO Todd Shapiro wrote on X: "This is such a horrendous tweet @miakhalifa. Consider yourself fired effective immediately. Simply disgusting. Beyond disgusting. Please evolve and become a better human being."

A defiant Khalifa responded: "I'd say supporting Palestine has lost me business opportunities, but I'm more angry at myself for not checking whether or not I was entering into business with Zionists. My bad."

In a separate post, Khalifa said: "I just wanna make sure there's 4k footage of my people breaking down the walls of the open air prison they've been forced out of their homes and into so we have good options for the history books that write about how how they freed themselves from apartheid."

Radio host and wrestling pundit Peter Rosenberg criticized Khalifa's post in a direct message. Khalifa subsequently made their private exchange public on her X account, where she currently has more than 5.7 million followers.

"I stand with all oppressed people, everywhere, until no one is fighting for freedom," the screenshot showed Khalifa responding. "I'm from Lebanon, I've lived through more air [raids] by the IDF than your tiny privileged brain could ever know how to work through.

"[You] know nothing but tall tales of a land that doesn't belong to you, created by a military that has nothing to do with your peaceful god loving religion. Don't you ever disrespect me and my experience with what geopolitical war is again you man child."

While Rosenberg didn't publicly respond to Khalifa posting their message exchange on the platform, he told Newsweek on October 9 that he found her approach to the matter to be "unhinged and ridiculous."

"The idea of demanding that people take sides hours after finding out that innocent people had been slaughtered was so counterproductive and hateful," he said, via email. "I don't care that she posted our direct message. I didn't consider her a friend. I was trying to avoid being messy on a day that's not about myself or Mia Khalifa."