DUBAI: Lebanese pop superstar Myriam Fares has apologized to her Egyptian fans over comments she made at a press conference for the Moroccan Mawazine Festival on Saturday.
In a press appearance before her gig at the music festival, the star was questioned by a journalist and asked why she doesn’t perform in Egypt as much as she used to.
“I will be honest with you,” she told the journalist, “I’ve grown over the years and so did the pay and my demands, so it became a bit heavy on Egypt.”
The comment triggered intense backlash on social media, with many offended Twitter users using the platform to vent.
Egyptian singer and actor Ahmed Fahmi, who starred alongside Fares in a 2014 TV show, He replied to her comments sarcastically, tweeting: “Now you are too much for Egypt. Learn from the stars of the Arab world. You will understand that you did the biggest mistake of your life with this statement.”
Then, Egyptian songwriter Amir Teima tweeted: “Most Lebanese megastars like Elissa, Nawal (El Zoghby), Nancy (Ajram), Ragheb (Alama), and the great Majida El-Roumi have performed in Egypt after the revolution. You and I both know they get paid more than you do. Don’t attack Egypt; if it’s not out of respect, do it out of wit.”
Now, Fares has replied to the comments and has blamed the misunderstanding on her Lebanese dialect, saying: “I always say in my interviews that although I started from Lebanon, I earned my stardom in Egypt. I feel sorry that my Lebanese dialect and short reply created chances for a misunderstanding.”
She ended her Instagram apology by saying, “Long live Egypt.”
