#SHOWBIZ: Haneesya: Yes, my skin is dark, what else do you want?
KUALA LUMPUR: Actress Haneesya Hanee has spoken out against the persistent ridicule she has faced regarding her skin colour, a form of criticism that has plagued her since her debut.
The 25-year-old artiste, known for her role in the drama Aku Bukan Ustazah, expressed her growing frustration, particularly with the fact that these attacks have now extended to her family members.
"From my time in the Dewi Remaja competition until today, people have fixated on my skin colour," Haneesya lamented.
"I don't know how to make them stop. Every time they target me, they inevitably resort to this skin colour sentiment."
"They seem capable of relating to other aspects of my life, such as my personal stories or relationship issues.
"But when they want to find a 'weak point' to attack, my dark skin colour is still their go-to subject. Yes, my skin is black, what more can I say?" she told BH Online.
Haneesya added that some of the netiznes don't even meet the supposedly conventional beauty standards that they mock her for.
She further revealed that some of those people criticising her also have children which share a similar skin tone as her and could be subjected to the same kind of hurtful comments.
"I've seen the social media profiles of these people hurling insults at me. They seem to lack any consideration for young children who might be affected by the same kind of prejudice," she said.
"How would these children feel when they know their own parents are the ones making such derogatory remarks about someone else's skin? It' would surely be deeply upsetting for them."
Haneesya also expressed her disappointment that her aunt became a target of online abuse after uploading content on TikTok.
While Haneesya acknowledges that some of the criticism directed at her stems from her portrayal of the character Dahlia in the drama Dia Imamku, she stressed that the post in question had nothing to do with the drama.
"During the recent Hari Raya celebrations, I shared a TikTok video featuring my family, including my aunt.
"I was dismayed to see that many people couldn't distinguish between reality and fiction," Haneesya recounted.
"They insulted my extended family and made derogatory remarks. Can't they extend some respect to my family?
"Dahlia is just a character; my innocent family shouldn't be subjected to this kind of abuse.
"It would be different if I had posted something related to Dahlia. In that case, if you want to hurl insults, go ahead," she said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
9 hours ago
- The Star
A new generation of fashion lovers are just getting to know Steve Madden
Steve Madden, the eponymous founder of the famous shoe brand – and a man with a somewhat complicated history – said he had never seen anything quite like this in his 35-year career. He did an interview with the Cutting Room Floor fashion podcast that was posted online recently, and the reaction on social media (and beyond) has been overwhelmingly positive. 'Usually people are like 'what do you want from a con man?'' he said in a phone interview. But this time, 'people were calling me and they're like, 'Did you read the comments?'' he said. 'Some people want me to run for president.' He referred to the controversies and struggles he has been a part of over the years before pausing and adding that 'it's nice to be appreciated'. Political office isn't in his future, but later in the phone interview he said that he would consider running 'for the president of the board in my building' after all this positive attention. In the podcast interview, Madden and the host, Recho Omondi, touched on a range of topics, including his past white-collar crimes and the current government. Clips of the interview have been viewed by millions of users on TikTok, and Omondi's Patreon, which is where the podcast is posted, received 'thousands' of new subscribers, she wrote in a recent post. Read more: Style reigns supreme: Catherine, Princess of Wales, proves she's still got it In the days after the interview was released, stock in the Steve Madden brand rallied to its highest point in a month, and many TikTok users noted they were going to buy his shoes. In an emailed statement, the company said Google searches for 'Steve Madden' were up more than 60% and website visits from organic search had increased by 10%. The Steve Madden brand offers popular footwear styles at more affordable prices. Photo: Instagram/Steve Madden It's a case study in the best kind of press engagement, particularly for a brand that has, for years, been outside the trendy spotlight and more often associated with clearance aisles and outlet stores, said Matthew Quint, director of the Center On Global Brand Leadership at Columbia Business School. In the podcast interview, Madden owned up to the securities fraud he committed with Jordan Belfort, which landed him in prison in the early 2000s (Belfort's story inspired Martin Scorsese's 2013 film The Wolf Of Wall Street ). 'I was too ambitious, I was too greedy,' he said. 'I was complicit – I'm not blaming anybody.' On tariffs and the global trade war, he noted that policymakers, and in particular president Donald Trump, 'fundamentally do not understand what they're doing'. He also embraced the brand's reputation for copying styles from luxury fashion houses at cheaper price points. 'It's like calling the Beatles a knockoff band because they would take a little bit from Motown and a little bit from Elvis,' he said in the podcast interview. On the day the podcast was released, Madden sued Adidas for its 'efforts to monopolise' stripes after the sneaker brand complained that two of Madden's sneaker designs, with two stripes instead of three, infringed its trademark on the three stripes. Most of the reaction to the podcast interview on TikTok and Reddit praised Madden's candor and his plain way of speaking. Others found it refreshing for a business leader to speak so bluntly about the current administration's policies. For a younger generation, the interview also served as a moment of discovery, with many learning for the first time about Madden – his background, his struggles – or just putting a face to a name they have seen or heard over the years, Quint said. 'Suddenly it's like, Oh, that's Steve the shoe guy?' he said. 'There's sort of a surprise factor in all of it – the uncovering of who he is and thinking of that brand in a new light.' Madden admitted that perhaps a younger generation was meeting him for the first time. 'I'm kind of like an author, an author that you know very well but you don't know what he looks like,' he said. 'Then they get to see me – they've been wearing my shoes forever but I'm a real guy. I'm a real guy who goes to the grocery store and curses too much, you know, and tries to be a good dad.' In fact, his story – already extensively covered in the media, in his autobiography and in The Wolf Of Wall Street – is seemingly so fresh for a younger generation that many TikTok users suggested Netflix should produce a documentary about him. Read more: How today's best-dressed men aren't just wearing style – they're shaping it During the podcast interview he was shown a pair of Alaia shoes that his brand had replicated. His reaction was to ask, referring to his customers, 'Do you think some of my girls even know who Alaia is?' That line struck many who viewed the interview as endearing. 'From day one, I have loved Steve Madden and now I love him even more,' Gabriella Masseran said in a TikTok post, reacting to the interview. 'He's for the girls,' she added, before walking her followers through her personal collection of Madden's shoes. 'It felt really genuine – he wasn't snooty,' said Victoria Thompson, 31, a government worker and content creator in Augusta, Georgia. 'I felt like that could have been my uncle. And he called us his girls. I'm like, you know what? Let me go support him.' After seeing the clips on TikTok over the weekend, she drove to the nearest Dillard's department store and bought a pair of Steve Madden slippers. They look like a type produced by Hermes, but are far less expensive. – ©2025 The New York Times Company This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
New Straits Times
9 hours ago
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Amyra, Amar grateful to celebrate Aidiladha together
KUALA LUMPUR: Actress Amyra Rosli was delighted to celebrate Hari Raya Aidiladha or Hari Raya Korban with her husband, actor Amar Baharin. Amyra, whose real name is Nur Amira Izzati Rosli, admitted she hadn't expected Amar to be back for the celebrations. She thought his #JourneyToTanahHaram expedition would keep him away for three months. "Alhamdulillah, Amar returned last Thursday. His flight was actually scheduled for Friday, but thankfully, he arrived early. "We thought the expedition would take three months because he planned to travel through India and Pakistan, but that wasn't possible, so he shortened the trip. "Before he left, I was sad, thinking I'd be celebrating Eid al-Adha alone, but I told myself it would be okay. "It seems Allah allowed me to celebrate Eid al-Adha with my husband. Alhamdulillah, we were even able to fast on the Day of Arafah together," she told BH Online. Sharing an update on Amar, Amyra said her husband is in good health and will be holding a small Thanksgiving ceremony with his family this evening. "Amar is doing well because he had enough rest in Madinah for about five days. I'm so relieved to see him. "The first thing Amar said when he saw us was that he missed us," she shared. Speaking about her role as a wife, Amyra emphasised that she supports her husband's passions and always maintains a positive outlook. "Honestly, I don't see it as much of a sacrifice; I simply allow it because it's Amar's passion. I have to support what my husband enjoys. What he's doing is an experience very few people get. "I haven't had to manage many new things, but I'm learning to be more independent. I like to manage my own life, and even when Amar isn't around, I can handle things myself. "I can manage everything well – the children, family, work, household chores, and everything else. Really, God allowed me to experience independence," she explained. Amar and Datuk Muhamad Muqharabbin Mokhtarrudin, also known as Qobin, concluded their cycling mission under the #JourneyToTanahHaram programme in Madinah. Amar and Qobin, who were also the first Malaysians to conquer Mount Everest, began their cycling journey from Perlis, traversing several countries, including Thailand and Iran, before arriving in Saudi Arabia.
New Straits Times
a day ago
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Actress Saidah Kamarudin cancels wedding, claims ex has only RM500 in bank account
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian actress Saidah Kamarudin has revealed the reasons behind her decision to call off her engagement to fellow actor Muhammad Muntazar Ghufran in October last year. The former couple became engaged in May 2024, following a year of dating. In a recent interview, Saidah, 29, cited financial instability as a primary factor in her decision to end the wedding plans. She claimed that Muntazar, 22, had only RM500 in his bank account. "You should be looking for a job or continuing your studies," she lamented. The actress further alleged that following their breakup, Muntazar hacked into her TikTok account and posted fabricated comments under her name in an attempt to damage her reputation. It's understood that Saidah filed a police report at the Setia Alam police station in Shah Alam, Selangor, on May 31. "When Muntazar and I were still together, we shared the passwords to our social media accounts. After we broke up, I changed my passwords and removed all access." Meanwhile, Muntazar has refuted Saidah's claims that he was unable to afford their wedding. The actor explained that he told her he had additional funds invested in unit trusts. "I told Saidah about it, but she told me that's investment savings and not actual money. If it's true that I have only RM500 in savings, how is it possible for me to pay close to RM1,000 monthly for my car while also giving my family around RM1,000?" he argued.
