Lawsuit Dropped Against Egyptian Actress Rania Youssef For Wearing ‘Revealing’ Red Carpet Outfit
“I would have never believed all of this would happen because of a dress”
Usually the biggest drama on the red carpet involves a “who wore it better?” moment. At the Cairo International Film Festival, however, Egyptian actress Rania Youssef wore a dramatic look that somehow landed her a lawsuit. The ensemble featured a black bodysuit with a sheer embroidered dress over top, which according to The New York Times, three lawyers believed to be too revealing and decided to sue her for “incitement to debauchery.”
The trial was set to happen in January 2019, but after much backlash on social media, the lawyers withdrew their charges (which could have resulted in up to five years in prison, reported The Economic Times). They released the following statement:Â “First, when we took legal action against the artist Rania Youssef, this was not for the purpose of personal gains or benefits, nor was it intended to deprive her person, but was out of concern for public order and ethics and sensing the danger facing the Egyptian society as a result of the incident, committed by a popular public figure with an audience that will try to imitate them, which may lead to the spread of chaos and the violation of standards of values and ethics.”
The 44-year-old actress currently has an Instagram following of 690,000 and has appeared in films like Wahed Saheh, Reklam, Ant Scream, and Cabaret. In the face of social pressure, Youssef said in a statement, “I want to repeat my commitment to the values and ethics we have been raised by in Egyptian society.”
Youssef also re-posted a new interview she did, explaining: “I could never believe that my name would appear in The New York Times or The Washington Post. In my opinion, this is a nightmare. I would have never believed all of this would happen because of a dress.”
Watch the interview in Arabic below: