Throwback: Iranian Lady Saha Tabar Who Went Viral for Resembling Angelina Jolie

Do you remember Sahar Tabar, the Iranian media personality who gained global attention for her resemblance to actress Angelina Jolie?

ElizabethBlog takes a look back at her controversial journey.

In 2019, Tabar—whose real name is Fatemeh Khishvand—was arrested by Iranian authorities after posting heavily edited and stylized photos of herself on social media. The images, which sparked outrage and eventually led to her imprisonment on charges of “obsc-nity” and “disrespecting the hijab.”

At the time, it was rumored that Tabar had undergone over 50 cosmetic surgeries in her quest to look like Jolie. However, during a pre-trial television interview, Tabar admitted that most of her appearance was the result of makeup, digital editing, and filters, not surgery.

Tabar also revealed that her motivation stemmed from a childhood dream to become famous, despite her mother’s disapproval. She continued to grow her Instagram presence until her arrest, which brought her story to global attention.

She said: “This is Photoshop and makeup. 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.

“I did not even think about being like Jolie. Also, I did not want to resemble the cartoon character the Corpse Bride.

“Now I understand that I have something to do with them, but I am a muse myself and remembering someone is not an end in itself.