Mia Khalifa has addressed criticism she’s faced after encouraging women to leave unhappy marriages.
In a recent video posted to her TikTok, the adult film star addressed the backlash over an earlier clip, where she opened up about being married three times and told women that they shouldn’t “be afraid” to leave their husbands if they’re not happy. While her initial statement was met with some praise from fans, others criticised the 30-year-old for giving marriage advice, considering her own relationship history.
As she addressed the criticism in her latest TikTok video, the influencer said she’s “failing to see what’s wrong” with the opinions and advice she shared about marriage.
“I’m failing to see what’s wrong in telling young women - who get married young - that if they are in relationships that are unhealthy and toxic, and make them unhappy, that just because they made a ‘commitment,’ they are not stuck in these relationships,” she said.
Khalifa also claimed that the main people who’ve been “mad” online are the “men who are the toxic ones in these relationships”.
“[The ones] who are afraid of their women having self realisations, and exercising free will, and leaving them,” she said. “Because the only thing holding their relationships together is probably the fact that they made ‘a commitment,’ and their religion and families.”
She concluded her video by noting that she wanted to get rid of that idea that “you have to stay in a relationship you committed to”.
“You don’t,” she said. “If you’re not happy, get the f** out of there.”
In her initial video, shared on 31 July, she recalled how she’d first gotten married at 18, before getting divorced at 21. She added that she got married for a second time at the age of 25, and then got divorced again when she was 28. She also revealed that she went on to get engaged again at 29, before ultimately ending the relationship when she was 30.
While reflecting on her own romantic past, she offered advice for other women, telling viewers “we should not be afraid to leave these men,” as “we’re not stuck with these people”.
“Marriage is not a sanctimonious thing, it is paperwork. It’s a commitment you make to someone, but if you feel like you’re not getting anything from that commitment and you’re trying, you gotta go,” she said. “You gotta go.”
She then aruged that, although the process of getting divorced may not be simple, one shouldn’t avoid a breakup if they’re unhappy.
“I know it’s difficult to fill out paperwork, and make appointments and do all these things, but this is your f***ing life,” she said. “Do you want to be stuck with someone?”
The same day, she shared a follow-up video on the topic, in which she acknowledged that divorce isn’t “easy” when two people have children. However, she also said that if the unhappy couple stays together, it can ultimately affect their children down the line.
“What do you want to teach your kids? Do you want to teach them to put up with things simply for the betterment of someone else?” she said. “And at the end of the day, is it for the betterment of your child if you’re unhappy?”
In the comments of her two viral videos on marriage, which have more than three million views combined, many viewers said they agreed with Khalifa’s advice.
“It’s better to grow up in two separate houses than one unhappy home,” one person wrote, while another added: “Absolutely!! I’ve seen miserable marriages do far worse damage than divorce ever could.”
However, some viewers argued that they view marriage as a lifelong commitment, while others expressed how happy they are in their relationships.
“Married means ‘for better or for worse.’ You have to get through the tough stuff,” one viewer wrote.
“Baby marriage is more than paperwork. Marriage life is LIT with the person God custom made for you. Six years and counting. I love it here,” another added.
