American adult film actor Whitney Wright has been at the center of a contentious debate following her social media posts about her recent trip to Iran. The controversy began when Wright, who has been outspoken in her criticism of Israel and has shown support for Palestinians, shared images from her visit to the Islamic Republic, including photos taken at the now-defunct U.S. embassy in Tehran. The site, which has been turned into an anti-American museum, was the location of the 1979-1981 hostage crisis where American embassy staff were held captive for 444 days.
Wright’s social media posts particularly stirred Iranian exiles and activists. U.S.-based Iranian dissident Masih Alinejad reacted to Wright’s covered appearance in line with the Islamic dress code, stating, “Iranian women don’t want to obey a discriminatory law.” She noted, “American porn star Whitney Wright is in Iran, my birth country, where women are killed for simply showing their hair and being true to themselves,” emphasizing the contrast between Wright’s freedom to visit and the oppressive hijab laws facing Iranian women.
Further fuelling the controversy was a claim made by Association Femme Azadi, a France-based collective for Iranian women, which said on social media: “Whitney Wright, an American porn star was invited to Tehran to promote the Islamic republic. They stop at nothing.” Wright has vehemently denied these allegations, asking rhetorically on social media, “Posting photos of my Iran trip now means I’m pushing Iran propaganda? Just sharing what I saw on the inside and outside.”
Iran’s government has distanced itself from Wright’s visit, with Tehran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanani commenting that while political tensions exist, it is not forbidden for Americans to visit Iran.
Further backlash came from within Iran itself. Iranian actor Setareh Pesiani criticized the government’s permission for Wright’s visit despite its strict dress code enforcement on its own citizens. “You punish people of this country in various methods for removal of hijab but you allow a porn actress to come here for tourism!?” Pesiani questioned on Instagram.
The U.S. State Department also weighed in, reiterating its standing warning for Americans to avoid travel to Iran and exercise increased caution due to the risk of wrongful detention. The department emphasized that the Islamic Republic of Iran remains a primary driver of instability across the Middle East region.
Relevant articles:
– US pornography actor accused of posting propaganda for Iran
– Visit to Iran by US porn star angers exiles, Yahoo News, Mon, 05 Feb 2024 15:39:04 GMT
– Oklahoma born porn star Whitney Wright is slammed after visiting Iran and posting pictures at former US embassy where hostages were held for 444 days and now serves as an anti-America museum, Daily Mail, Tue, 06 Feb 2024 02:21:00 GMT
– Oklahoma porn star Whitney Wright poses in front of vile ‘death to America’ murals as she visit the former US embassy in Tehran that is now an anti-American museum as she denies endorsing the Iranian , Daily Mail, Tue, 06 Feb 2024 16:00:25 GMT