Iran's 'Zombie Angelina Jolie' Instagram Star Arrested for Blasphemy

Iranian Instagram star Sahar Tabar has been arrested for blasphemy.

The 22-year-old rose to viral fame in 2017 thanks to her selfies in which she looks like a zombified version of Angelina Jolie.

As her jarring pictures first began to circulate online, so too did reports she had undergone up to 50 cosmetic procedures to perfect the frightening look, with sunken cheeks, upturned pointed nose, massive lips and enormous cartoonish eyes, along with her impossibly skinny arms.

However, she later admitted her horrifying image was an illusion, skillfully created with make-up and Photoshop.

On Sunday, Iranian news agency Tasnim (via CNN) reported the social media star had been taken into custody after members of the public made complaints about her.

She is accused of blasphemy, instigating violence, insulting the Islamic veil, and encouraging youth to commit corruption. Her Instagram account has also been deleted.

Instagram is the only major social network permitted in Iran, with Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube all banned. However, a number of fashion bloggers and influencers have been arrested over their Instagram posts.

Despite the zombie Angelina comparisons, Tabar previously insisted that was not her aim.

"I had no interest at all to be like Angelina Jolie, and I did not want to look like the character from 'Corpse Bride'," she reportedly told Russian news agency Sputnik in 2017. "I understand that I do have some similarities with them, but I am my own muse and I did not want to look like anyone. That was not my aim."

In the same interview, she confirmed that while she had had a few minor cosmetic procedures, her scary selfies were all physical and digital trickery.

"It is Photoshop and makeup," she said. "Every time I publish a photo I make my face more fun. It is my way of self expression, a kind of art. My followers know that this is not my real face."

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