An American porn star sparked outrage after her visit to Iran, despite the risks of being arrested and sentenced to death.
Whitney Wright (32 years old) filmed herself in Tehran and visited the abandoned American embassy, which was turned into an anti-American museum.
In statements posted on social media, Wright, whose real name is Brittney Rayne Whittington, said she “had to visit” the embassy where Iranian students held its staff hostage for 444 days after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
“I'm sharing exhibits from a museum like never before,” Wright, of Oklahoma, he wrote on Instagram in a since-deleted post. “It's not an endorsement of the government.”
She filmed herself around the Iranian capital despite her work in pornography, which theoretically puts her at risk of criminal charges that could carry a death sentence.
Wright also posted several photos of her visit, including one that showed her wearing a hijab and conservative clothing – required by law in the country. Iran – Standing next to the lowered American flag at the former embassy.
In an Instagram post on Monday, the adult actress said she doesn't know “half of what's being said here, but I'm no longer in Iran, I'm somewhere else.”
Her visit comes on the heels of a visit to Iran Nobel Peace Prize laureate and women's rights activist Narges Mohammadi imprisonedas well as the country's mandatory hijab law and nationwide protests over the death of a woman while in police custody Mahsa Amini two years ago.
Entrance to the former US embassy – now an anti-American museum – in Tehran. Photo: AP
Backlash to the visit
Masih Alinejad, A weA resident activist who has faced assassination and kidnapping attempts by Iran, he condemned Wright for making the trip and for alleged comments in which the actress said “If you respect the law, you will be safe in Iran.”
“Iranian women do not want to submit to a discriminatory law,” she wrote on X. Rosa Parks stood up against racist laws in America and became a symbol of resistance.
“We women of Iran want to be like Rosa Parks, not Whitney Wright. And by the way, the real warmongers are the agents of the Islamic Republic who will execute you if you are honest with yourself.”
Iranian actress Setareh Bissiani also said on Instagram: “You punish people in this country in different ways for removing the hijab but you allow a porn actress to come here for tourism!?”
Questions about visa
Under Iranian law, producing pornography is illegal and can result in the death penalty.
So far in 2024, the government has executed about 74 people, reports Human Rights in Iran.
US citizens also need a visa to visit the country, and it is not clear how the actress obtained the visa.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency, believed to be close to the Revolutionary Guards, quoted an unnamed official who claimed that those who issued the visa “were not aware of the immoral nature of her job.”
Iranian Foreign Affairs spokesman Nasser Kanani said during a weekly press conference: “Naturally, American citizens do not face any obstacles in traveling to the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Iranian citizens are able to travel to the United States.”
When asked about Wright's trip, the US State Department said it warned Americans against traveling to Iran and “exercise increased caution due to the risk of wrongful arrest.”
