Lebanese model turned pop star Myriam Klink has been barred from leaving the country after facing a lengthy interrogation by police, following her release of an "explicit" viral video.
Klink, who is no stranger to controversy, >released the video titled Goal last week, featuring Lebanese singer Jad Khalife. On Saturday it was announced that the video had been banned by Lebanon's justice ministry and a fine of 50 million Lebanese lira ($33,105) would be imposed on those who continue to circulate or broadcast the clip, according to the National News Agency.
On Monday, Klink, Khalife and the video's director Mahmoud Ramzi, were summoned by police and interrogated. Although they were released by evening, they all have been banned from traveling as an investigation is ongoing.
For her part, Klink seems excited about all the hype.
Upon leaving the police station, Klink told reporters: "Goal. That’s all I’m going to say," according to The Daily Star.
“Klink became a case in this country although I didn’t do anything," she said.
The controversial clip shows the duo singing and laying in bed on top of each other. In other particularly bizarre segments, Klink can be seen dancing on the bed in lingerie with a young girl, as Khalife sings in front of them.
While there is no nudity in the video, the lyrics are quite suggestive and the interactions between Klink and Khalife are intimate. Although the lyrics literally describe scoring a goal in football ... the random oohs and ahhs, and the fact that the entire video takes place in a bedroom leaves no question as to what the song is really about.
According to authorities, the clip was banned due to concerns over its sexually explicit nature and the presence of a young child, which they referred to as "exploitation."
Khalife defended the video
Khalife said on Monday that other Lebanese pop stars, like Haifa Wehbe, have used children before, saying that "nobody made such a big deal out of it.”
"The video was very ordinary," Khalife told the media.
While the sexual nature of the clip may be somewhat shocking in Lebanon and the Arab world, it pales in comparison to internationally popular music videos by Western artists such as Nicki Minaj, Britney Spears and Rihanna, none of which have been banned in Lebanon.
There were a lot of strong reactions to the video
Some found the song catchy
And some are seriously questioning the ban
Klink is no stranger to controversy and social media attention, having built her image around bizarre and provocative antics.
She is well-known for her music video, Klink Revolution where she criticizes Lebanon's reigning political class while brandishing a machine gun in a graveyard
Notably, the pop star >received a nomination to be president when Lebanon's parliament selected Michel Aoun after more than two years without a head of state.
An unnamed MP cast the ballot in what is believed to be a protest vote. The ballot was laughed off and rejected, with the reasoning being that she is an Orthodox Christian and the country's president – according to the Lebanon's unwritten national pact but not the constitution – must be a Maronite Christian.
Some have claimed that this made Klink the first woman ever to receive a presidential nomination in the country, but female MPs Gilbert Zouein and Strida Geagea were also nominated in the same session, and quickly dismissed by the country's overwhelmingly male parliament.