Update October 16: Britney Spears has offered her support for the people of Iran, alongside her husband Sam Asghari. “Me & my husband stand with the people of Iran fighting for freedom,” she tweeted.
Original story follows.
Angelina Jolie and Nazanin Boniadi have joined a growing list of celebrities in speaking out on social media about the death of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by Iran’s “morality police” earlier this month for improperly wearing her hijab. Officials claim that the 22-year-old woman died of a heart attack, but her family alleges that she was beaten by officers. Amini’s subsequent death in police custody has prompted ongoing protests in the country, with women cutting their hair and publicly burning headscarves. “Respect to the brave, defiant, fearless women of Iran,” Jolie wrote on Instagram, adding that women “don’t need their morals policed, their minds re-educated, or their bodies controlled.”
In a lengthy guest column for Deadline, Iran-born actress Nazanin Boniadi called the ongoing movement “nothing short of the first female-led revolution of our time.” According to the New York Times, the Iranian government has deployed large security forces to areas of protest, where internet and cell service has been limited. The Iran Human Rights Group estimated to the BBC on Wednesday that at least 76 protesters have been killed. In her column, Boniadi encouraged other creatives to use their platforms to highlight what is happening in Iran, borrowing a quote from her Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power character, Bronwyn: “Who among you will stand with me? Who among you will stand and fight?” Read more statements of solidarity below.
