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Al-Ahram Weekly

ON TV deletes promo for Maha El-Sagheer show following her art plagiarism scandal - Screens - Arts & Culture

ON TV has removed the promo for Egyptian influencer, TV presenter, and designer Maha El-Sagheer's new show Kalam Kebir (Big Talk) from all social media platforms, after she was found to have claimed artworks by internationally acclaimed artists as her own. The promo of the show, which was to launch this month, revealed a star-studded lineup of guests, including Ahmed El Sakka, Hend Sabry, Mohamed Sami, Hesham Maged, Ahmed Fahmy, Sherif Mounir, Bushra, Aya Samaha, Ahmed Mourad, Miran Abdel Warith, Mostafa Khater, and Bassem Samra. The show was expected to be Maha's return to TV following her divorce from actor Ahmed El-Sakka after 26 years of marriage — a separation that also garnered significant public attention. Stolen Wings The promo was deleted after El-Sagheer falsely claimed authorship of a painting, titled Made Myself Some Wings, which was later revealed to be created by Danish artist Lisa Lach-Nielsen. Daughter of the late iconic hairdresser Mohamed El-Sagheer (1945–2021) and ex-wife of 26 years of renowned actor Ahmed El-Sakka, El-Sagheer appeared on the widely popular Egyptian TV programme Maakom, hosted by famous Egyptian TV host Mona El-Shazly. The episode, which was aired during Eid El-Adha (5 and 6 June), featured several media personalities, including El-Sagheer, who showcased the Danish artist's painting Made Myself Some Wings and several other paintings, allegedly belonging to other Western artists, as being of her creation. The Danish painting quickly drew attention from its actual creator, who wrote a post on the subject on Instagram earlier this week: Lach-Nielsen wrote: "It's pretty cool to see your work on the big screen in a popular TV show in Egypt—a country with 140 million people. And it would be even cooler if your name were actually mentioned! But Maha El-Sagheer, a famous influencer, TV presenter, and designer, forgot to do that. Instead, she claimed that she painted the piece." Lach-Nielsen clarified that Made Myself Some Wings, which she created in 2019, was not the only misattributed work. According to her, El-Sagheer also presented paintings by three other artists as her own. "However, I choose to take it as a huge compliment that Maha El-Sagheer likes my work so much that she actually wants to commit a crime (according to Egyptian and international copyright law and the Berne Convention) by using it for branding and promoting herself," Lach-Nielsen added. Hours after this statement, the Danish artist was flooded by messages, mainly from Egyptians. In response, she made another post on Instagram saying: "I was not prepared for the reaction I got to the post I made yesterday. What I'm most surprised about is the amount of supportive messages and comments from Egyptians who apologise on behalf of their country. I think that's quite outstanding, and I must assure you, that I never thought that Maha's behaviour represents the Egyptian people." Apology amid backlash Following the scandal and the Egyptian public uproar, El-Sagheer has issued a public apology on her social media. "I made a mistake. I wronged the Danish artist Lisa, all artists, and the platform that gave me a voice," Maha El-Sagheer wrote in a Facebook post. "Most importantly, I wronged myself. Going through the most difficult time in my life does not justify what happened. I am sorry, and I am deeply disappointed in myself," she added. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link: