The 22-year-old Instagram star Sahar Tabar, aka the 'zombie Angelina Jolie lookalike', has been paraded on national television following her arrest by Iranian authorities, BBC News has reported.

Tabar, a social media influencer, who often uploads images of herself as a creepy-looking doppelgänger of Jolie, was arrested on charges of blasphemy and the instigation of violence two weeks previously.

Per BBC News, the Tasnim news agency per reports that Iranian judicial authorities responded to a number of complaints made about Tabar.

Watch the footage of the interview as it appeared on Iranian television:

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Other charges against the blogger include the illegal acquisition of property, insulting the Iranian national dress code and encouraging youths to commit corruption. Her popular Instagram account is currently deleted (although, her followers have already archived her posts), and her YouTube channel is still accessible.

But according to a report on BBC News, her appearance on the state-owned television channel IRTV2 was held as an example of how "the madness to become famous on social media has ruined a real life."

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Tabar stated that her corpselike appearance was not the result of cosmetic surgery, but through prosthetics, makeup, and photo-editing software instead. She also claimed that her mother urged her to abandon the influencer lifestyle.

In the interview, Tabar stated: "I do not currently look like my photoshopped pictures. My mother was telling me to stop, but I didn't listen. Sometimes the words of a stranger or a friend can be more important than those of a parent."

She added that she was the child of a broken home and that she regrets her social media usage - pointing out that she could have enrolled in a college university if it wasn't for her online persona.

Take a look at this video of Sahar Tabar's Halloween costume below: 

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However, the stilted nature of Tabar's statements, as well as her sudden reversal of opinion on her blogging, has made some ask if the interview has been staged by the fundamentalist Islamic regime for propaganda purposes. We hope to have more on this story as it develops.

It appears that a 21-year-old woman who became known on social media as the 'Zombie Angelina Jolie' looks like any ordinary young woman - despite previous claims that she underwent surgery to achieve a gaunt, ghoulish appearance.

She made headlines in 2020 after it was reported that she had been sentenced to 10 years in prison in her native Iran over her social media presence, which involved her sharing photos of her distorted face online.

Per The Guardian, the sentence came one year after Sahar Tabar, whose real name is Fatemeh Khishvand, was arrested. She was found guilty of the corruption of young people and disrespect for the Islamic Republic. Previous initial charges of blasphemy and inciting violence were later thrown out.

Days after she was sentenced, Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad revealed that she had spoken to Tabar's lawyer, and learned that the then 19-year-old was released following "massive media pressure", the MailOnline reported.

Alinejad also shared a tweet that read: "Today the Iranian teenager who posted heavily distorted images of herself online was jailed for 10 years has been freed after massive media pressure."

Speaking to The Sun, Tabar's layer, Saied Dehgan, revealed that she was freed on bail after serving roughly 15 months of jail time.

Surrounded by her family, Tabar appeared on Rokna.net and spoke about her distorted social media snaps. The social media star admitted to using a mix of Photoshop and make-up as a "joke" in order to achieve the striking look.

Tabar speaks out during a previous interview on Iranian TV:

Tabar first went viral back in 2017 after sharing pictures of her gaunt, discolored, and distorted face on social media - leading to many people and publications dubbing her the 'Zombie Angelina Jolie'.

But images - which are said to be of Tabar's real, unedited appearance - have since surfaced online:

The New York Post reported that Tamar once claimed to have undergone "50 surgeries".

But after amassing upwards of 500,000 followers on Instagram, she later appeared to confirm that she had used digital editing tools and makeup to enhance her bizarre appearance in a post captioned: "People are probably living in the 18th century and they haven’t seen or heard of technology or make-up and they are really surprised."

Tabar's attorneys had previously tried to secure her release after she became ill with coronavirus while in jail, BBC News reports.

Furthermore, Iranian journalist and activist Masih Alinejad even asked actress Angelina Jolie herself to help the young incarcerated woman.

"Islamic Republic has a history of tormenting women," she said. "We need to be united against this gender apartheid."

Featured image credit: Cyberstock / Alamy

Sahar Tabar, the Iranian content creator who became infamous for her "Zombie Angelina Jolie" persona, has finally revealed her true face in a rare interview.

For years, many believed that the young influencer had undergone extreme cosmetic surgeries to achieve the gaunt, skeletal look she showcased on Instagram.

However, Tabar, whose real name is Fatemeh Khishvand, has now set the record straight, admitting that her haunting appearance was nothing more than the result of makeup and digital editing.

Tabar used Photoshop to alter her appearance. Credit: Instagram / sahartabar_official

Tabar explained that she used Photoshop and cosmetic techniques to create her viral persona, and said the extreme images were never meant to be taken seriously.

“What you saw on Instagram was the computer effects I used to create the image," she reportedly said, per Daily Mail.

She clarified that the images were a form of self-expression, rather than a serious attempt to deceive, and reflected on her pursuit of fame, saying: "Cyberspace was an easy way. It was much easier than becoming an actor."

A stint behind bars

Tabar's rise to fame came with significant consequences. In October 2019, the influencer was arrested by Iranian authorities, facing charges related to blasphemy, inciting violence, and "corruption of youth".

She was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2020 for her actions, though some charges were later dropped.

Amid growing international pressure and media coverage, Tabar was released after serving approximately 15 months of her sentence.

Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad confirmed Tabar's freedom online, writing: "Today the Iranian teenager who posted heavily distorted images of herself online was jailed for 10 years has been freed after massive media pressure."

Tabar's real appearance has come as a surprise. Credit: YouTube/Rokna

Revealing the real Tabar

Following her release, Tabar appeared in an interview with Iranian state-run media outlet Rokna, where viewers were stunned by her true appearance.

The contrast between her real face and the heavily edited images that made her famous left many surprised.

"Omg it was makeup thank god," one user said, while another commented: "Do not destroy your face," and a third said: "Is this the person who Photoshops her pictures to look like Zombie? Wtf, 2 different people."

Despite the shock, some users defended her, questioning why she was arrested in the first place: "Why would you arrest someone for plastic surgery or illusion makeup. Plastic surgery is a personal choice, and illusion makeup is a talent," one user wrote.

And one more chimed in: "It is a grand injustice that this 19 year old Iranian woman was sentenced for 10 yrs in prison for expressing her talents as an artist and an individual."

Since being freed, Tabar has expressed that she no longer plans to return to Instagram, saying she "would not even put Instagram on my phone anymore".

The combination of her time in prison and the controversy surrounding her presence online has caused her to reconsider her future on social media.

Featured image credit: Instagram / sahartabar_official

The influencer who gained notoriety on social media as "Zombie Angelina Jolie" was actually arrested back in 2019.

Sahar Tabar, whose real name is Fatemeh Khishvand, became an overnight global sensation in 2017 after posting images of herself with sunken cheeks, bulging eyes, and a cartoonishly distorted face.

A look that some believed was the result of dozens of cosmetic surgeries to mimic the Hollywood actress.

Sahar’s rise to fame was fueled by her bizarre and haunting photos, which led many to believe she’d gone through extreme plastic surgery to achieve her look - rumors that continued to snowball as it was increasingly difficult to prove otherwise.

“With sunken cheeks, a massively plumped up smile and a cartoonishly turned-up nose, she has caused concern over the dozens of cosmetic surgeries she said she had undertaken to resemble the American star,” reported the BBC.

The New York Post once said she claimed to have undergone “50 surgeries,” a number that captured media attention and public intrigue worldwide.

However, the truth behind her appearance was far less dramatic and much, much cheaper.

Sahar later admitted that her look was nothing more than an elaborate art project. “Cyberspace was an easy way,” she said. “It was much easier than becoming an actor.”

She explained her use of make-up and Photoshop in an interview with Sputnik, saying she edited the images to “amuse” herself and that the look was “a form of self-expression.”

Her fame, however, came with a price.

In October 2019, Sahar was arrested by Iranian authorities in a crackdown on online influencers.

At just 19 years old, she was accused of a string of serious charges: blasphemy, instigating violence, illegally acquiring property, insulting the country's dress code, and encouraging young people to commit corruption, according to Iran’s Tasnim News Agency.

Her Instagram was promptly deleted, and the arrest sparked a wave of public reaction. One sarcastic tweet at the time suggested she should have chosen “less incendiary pursuits, such as embezzlement and murder.”

In December 2020, she was sentenced to 10 years in prison for “corruption of young people and disrespect for the Islamic Republic,” The Guardian reported.

But she didn’t serve the full sentence.

Following an international outcry and what activist Masih Alinejad described as “massive media pressure,” Sahar was released after just 15 months behind bars.

"Today the Iranian teenager who posted heavily distorted images of herself online was jailed for 10 years has been freed after massive media pressure," Alinejad tweeted.

Her lawyer, Saied Dehgan, confirmed to The Sun that she had been freed, and efforts had previously been made to secure her release after she contracted Covid while in jail, according to BBC News.

Soon after her release, Sahar appeared on Iranian state-owned channel Rokna, where her real appearance stunned viewers who had only ever seen the ghost-like persona she had carefully crafted online.

Reactions flooded social media after her TV appearance.

“Wow! It’s so sad what lengths people would go to for fame…” one person wrote.

Another added: “It’s amazing how many people put so much thought into what other people are doing to be comfortable in their own skin.”

Featured image credit: Instagram / sahartabar_official

An Iranian Instagram influencer who was previously dubbed 'Zombie Angelina Jolie' after she posted heavily distorted and edited pictures of herself online has been sentenced to 10 years in jail, it is reported.

Sahar Tabar, 19, whose real name is Fatemeh Khishvand, was arrested last year over her social media activities. According to the Guardian she was charged with corruption of young people and disrespect for the Islamic Republic.

Watch this interview with Tabar on Iranian TV:

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Tabar, who once boasted 486,000 followers on Instagram, rose to prominence as a result of pictures she uploaded of herself with a gaunt, zombie-like face.

The Guardian reports that Tabar has previously called on Angelina Jolie to campaign for her release, saying, "The Islamic Republic has a history of tormenting women. We need to be united against this gender apartheid."

Initial charges against the former influencer included blasphemy, inciting violence, gaining income through inappropriate means and encouraging youths to corruption, though she said that she had been cleared of two of the four charges.

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Earlier this year, it was reported that Tabar had caught coronavirus while in prison. Commenting on the situation at the time, human rights lawyer Payam Derafshan told the Center For Human Rights In Iran on Wednesday that: "We find it unacceptable that this young woman has now caught the coronavirus in these circumstances while her detention order has been extended during all this time in jail."

However, the head of the prison in which she was being held at the time denied the claims "The news released by the lawyer of Fatemeh Khishvand is not true and I deny it," said Mehdi Mohammad.

In an interview on the state-owned television channel IRTV2 Tabar said:

"I do not currently look like my photoshopped pictures. My mother was telling me to stop, but I didn't listen. Sometimes the words of a stranger or a friend can be more important than those of a parent."

Tabar's lawyer had asked for her to be bailed, pointing to her age at the time of the alleged offences. Instead, she has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.