Sahar Tabar, whose real name is Fatemeh Khishvand, is a young woman from Iran. She made a name for herself by undergoing numerous plastic surgeries in an attempt to look like Hollywood actress, Angelina Jolie. Tabar’s transformation, which included numerous procedures such as liposuction and nose reshaping, sparked controversy and debate online. Nicknamed Iran’s Zombie Angelina Jolie, she was also sentenced to be imprisoned for ten years.
She looked like Zombie Angelina Jolie
According to reports, Tabar, who is 19 years old, underwent more than 50 surgeries. All in an attempt to transform her appearance. She may never have claimed that she wanted to look like the star Angelina Jolie, but her followers sure did. And she flaunted her look by posting pictures of herself on social media with a heavily altered appearance. She had gaunt cheekbones with sharp features, plumped and angular lips, and a drastically changed nose. However, it is unclear how many of these surgeries were actually performed, as some have suggested that the pictures may have been heavily edited or even digitally altered.
Zombie Angelina Jolie made quite a name for herself by posting pictures of her strange appearance on her social media pages. Sahar’s Instagram had almost four million followers at one stage. Her handle was: @sahartabar_official, but it has since been deleted. Her mother had not approved of her social media usage, let alone the shocking images of her looking like Zombie Angelina Jolie. But, according to Sahara, she wanted to be famous. So, she persevered. “Cyberspace was an easy way,” she said. “It was much easier than becoming an actor.”
Apparently, this is not her real face
In an interview with a Russian website Sputnik, Sahar said: “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”. She added: “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.“
Subsequently, this has caused massive amounts of confusion amongst her followers, and anyone who has seen her story. In October 2019, the Zombie Angelina Jolie was arrested for her so-called blasphemous pictures on Instagram. Moreover, she was accused of illegally buying property, instigating violence, influencing the youth negatively, earning an income through inappropriate measures, and going against the country’s strict dress code for women. She was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, a hefty amount of years for a young woman. Not only that but she was sent to Qarchak Prison. Which is notoriously the worst prison a woman could be jailed at.
An activist calls for the real Angelina Jolie to step in
Iranian activist, Masih Alinejad, heard wind of the Zombie Angelina Jolie’s case and she took to social media to post about it. “Sahar Tabar is only 19. Her joke landed her in jail. Her mother cries every day to get her innocent daughter freed. Dear Angelina Jolie, we need your voice here. Help us.”
Sahar was released from jail after serving 14 months. This was alleged because of the death of Mahsa Amini, who was recently arrested and beaten by the Iranian police for wearing her hijab incorrectly.