Mia Khalifa blasts Andrew Tate & Russell Brand's ‘Holy' rebrand: redemption or PR spin?

Al Bawaba

08-04-2025

ALBAWABA - Mia Khalifa calls out Andrew Tate and Russell Brand for using religion to dodge accountability and rebrand.
The former adult film star who is now a jewelry designer and model, Mia Khalifa, has once again caused a sensation on the internet. This time, she is targeting intelligence, faith, and dubious-looking men. When Khalifa shared what some are referring to as one of the year's most scorching hot takes, the drama began:
The process of gathering pearls has begun. Let's now move on to the quote tweets. Get the thought pieces ready.
The internet blew out as predicted. With hordes of supporters and critics slinging memes, Bible references, and takes at one another in real time, the discourse on X (formerly known as Twitter) quickly escalated.
Hold your crosses before assuming Mia was just being anti-religious. In her own incendiary fashion, she underlined that her remarks were directed at the scammers who use religion as a garment rather than religion itself.
In other words, she is not coming for the pious; rather, she is coming for the scumbags who discover God only after they have ruined all relationships, evaded all accusations, and now wish to reposition themselves as moral leaders.
The shade. The precision. the outright rejection of performative redemption.
Both Tate and Brand have faced accusations of harsh behavior in public. Tate is charged with human trafficking and sexual exploitation, while Brand is being investigated for alleged rape and sexual misconduct. However, recently, both have presented themselves as religiously, rhetorically dressed pseudo-spiritual characters. It's obvious that Khalifa is not buying the act.
Naturally, it was too much for the internet to manage.
Khalifa received accolades from some for expressing what many people were considering but were afraid to share. One X user commented, "She's not wrong." "The rebranding from 'abusive man' to 'God-fearing thought leader' seems suspiciously well-funded."
Others were furious and accused her of being resentful, snobby, and anti-faith. Some even brought up her adult industry past, as if she hadn't heard that before.
Unconcerned and unfazed, Khalifa appeared to enjoy the criticism. She didn't remove a single post. I apologize for the inconvenience caused by the notes app. Don't backpedal. No, "I was not given the full context.. According to her, she stood ten toes down, watching the chronology burn while dropping truth bombs.
Whether you like her or not, Mia Khalifa just opened up a more in-depth conversation. Why do so many problematic public figures use religion as a means of escape?
The story is as old as scandal. A well-known person is accused of a terrible deed, goes missing for a while, and then reappears with a cross around their neck, a podcast full of confessions, and a new following that is ready to forgive—often without doubt. For the wealthy, the male, and the cunning, it is a form of atonement.
Furthermore, using religion as a PR strategy becomes more about optics than faith, as Khalifa bluntly noted.