Iraqi Actor Enas Taleb Sues British Outlet For Using Her Photo In Article On Obesity

Enas Taleb, an actor from Iraq, is suing a leading British outlet for using a photo of her in a piece about how Arab women are "fatter than men."

Taleb claimed that the photo had been edited and that it had been used out of context without her consent, breaching her privacy. Thus the actor has filed a lawsuit against the tabloid in the United Kingdom.

The 42-year-old is a popular TV personality in Iraq. She has starred in many Iraqi plays and hosts a chat show. Taleb is suing the British media outlet The Economist regarding using a photograph of her to illustrate an article about obesity, titled "Why women are fatter than men in the Arab world." The article was posted online on July 28 and included a photo of Taleb from the Babylon International Festival.

In a video she shared on Instagram on Wednesday, Samantha Kane, Taleb's lawyer said that she had “issued a letter of reclaim on behalf of my client demanding an apology. For serious harm.”

Speaking about the article, Taleb said in an interview that she was “demanding compensation for the emotional, mental and social damage this incident has caused me. My legal team and I are arranging the next steps.”

The article in question discussed the health concerns of obesity. It made the case that more Arab women than men are overweight because of poverty, travel limitations, and a lack of access to sports or passive exercise. It also mentioned that some women believe that men prefer rounder women. The artticle also included a sentence about Taleb, "Iraqis often cite Enas Taleb, an actress with ample curves (pictured), as the ideal of beauty."

Taleb said that the article is an “insult to the Arab woman in general and Iraqi women in particular,” questioning why the magazine “takes an interest in fat women in the Arab world and not in Europe or the USA.”

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