- The Iranian Instagram star Sahar Tabar gained recognition for resembling Angelina Jolie after undergoing drastic cosmetic surgery.
- She was arrested Saturday in Tehran and could face up to two years in jail on charges including obtaining money illegitimately and inciting violence.
- Tabar is known for her creepy videos and heavily edited photos, which have seen her compared to a “zombie” version of Jolie and to Tim Burton’s ghoulish “Corpse Bride” creation.
- Here is everything we know about her.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
An Iranian Instagram influencer known as Sahar Tabar was arrested Saturday on several charges including obtaining money through illegitimate means and inciting violence.
The social-media star gained wide recognition in Iran and internationally for her drastic and numerous cosmetic-surgery procedures and unique aesthetic.
Her look is distinguishable by her narrow upturned nose, accentuated pout, and sharp, hollow cheek bones.
Tabar accentuates her look further with makeup and often dresses in brightly colored clothes and wigs.
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Iranians have widely criticized her as altering her features to look like the actress Angelina Jolie, and she has also been said to resemble the titular character from the Tim Burton movie "Corpse Bride."
Tabar uses makeup and surgery to dramatically change her look
Her real name is Fatemeh Kh, according to the Tasnim news agency, though her surname is most likely abbreviated for security and privacy reasons.
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She first gained recognition in Iran in about 2017 when she posted photographs and videos of herself online showing off her extensive cosmetic surgery and heavy makeup.
Before her arrest, Tabar had more than 26,800 followers on Instagram. Her account was suspended following her arrest, but several fan accounts have photos and videos of her.
Many of the videos show Tabar singing along to Iranian pop songs and dancing. In one video posted to a fan account, she can be seen sporting orange and yellow dreadlocks and eating a cucumber.
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Tabar is 22 years old and according to Radio Farda is rumored to have had more than 50 cosmetic procedures, though she has publicly said much of her look comes down to "heavy editing." Radio Farda is the Iranian branch of the US government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty broadcasting service.
It is not known exactly how many surgeries Tabar has had, but in a 2017 interview published by the Russian government-owned news site Sputnik she said she'd had a nose job, botox, and liposuction.
"I don't see anything bad in this," she said. "It's simple and many people around the world do it. Here in Tehran the cost of one operation is 10 million Iranian rials," or about $300.
BBC Persian reported that when Tabar first made headlines many people speculated that she had undergone surgery in an attempt to look like Jolie.
Tabar, however, denied she ever intended to look like Jolie in her interview with Sputnik.
When asked whether she intended to alter her features to resemble the Hollywood actress, Tabar said: "Never. I had no interest at all to be like Angelina Jolie, and I did not want to look like the character from 'Corpse Bride.'
"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 also detailed how makeup and Photoshop were a component of her look.
Tabar said she considered her appearance "an art form" and "a form of self-expression."
Tabar was accused of several crimes by Iranian authorities, and arrested, last weekend
Her arrest came as a result of several public complaints made against her by people over her social-media posts, according to Tasnim.
Charges included blasphemy, inciting violence, corrupting youth, and obtaining money through illegitimate means, Tasnim reported.
Reza Sobh Khiz, a cybersecurity expert, said on an Iranian news show on Monday that under Iranian laws Taber could be facing 91 days to two years in jail for these crimes.