Mia Khalifa, the outspoken former adult film star turned model and jewelry designer, has once again stirred up digital chaos. This time by coming for religion, intelligence, and, well, men with questionable track records. The drama kicked off when Khalifa posted what some are calling one of the most blistering hot takes of the year:

“Becoming hyper-religious in adulthood is a sign of low intelligence, not enlightenment.”

Cue the pearl-clutching. Cue the quote tweets. Cue the think pieces.

As expected, the internet exploded. The X (formerly Twitter) discourse went from 0 to 100 real quick, with swarms of both defenders and detractors hurling takes, Bible verses, and memes at each other in real time.

Mia vs. the “Rebranded Degenerates”

Before you assume Mia was simply being anti-religious, hold your crosses. She clarified (in her own firebrand way) that her comments weren’t about religion per se but about the con artists who use it as a costume.

“There’s nothing I find more beautiful than religion and people who have the discipline to live their life by it ethically and responsibly,” she wrote in a follow-up tweet. “But these rising voices of f***boys turned pastors and club rats turned women of God selling a far-right image… y’all. They’re degenerates with 501(c)(3)’s. C’mon.”

Translation: she’s not coming for the devout, she’s coming for the grifters who find God only after they’ve burned every bridge, dodged every allegation, and now want to rebrand as moral authorities.

Enter: Andrew Tate, Russell Brand, and the Male Redemption Arc Industrial Complex

Things escalated when an X user posted a scathing tweet saying:

“Between Andrew Tate and Russell Brand, there’s something to be said about how abusive men often find easy refuge in religion and why they’re so readily embraced.”

Khalifa pounced. She quote-tweeted the post with a screenshot of her original tweet and the caption:

“taps the sign because morons and abusers seek salvation sans accountability.”

The shade. The accuracy. The sheer refusal to let performative redemption slide.

Both Tate and Brand have been publicly accused of abusive behavior. Brand’s under investigation for sexual misconduct and rape allegations, while Tate is facing charges related to human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Yet both have positioned themselves in recent years as pseudo-spiritual figures cloaked in religious rhetoric. Khalifa is clearly not buying the act.

Public Response: Sinners, Saints, and Sore Spots

As expected, the internet couldn’t handle it.

Some praised Khalifa for saying what many were thinking but didn’t dare post. “She’s not wrong,” one X user wrote. “The rebrand pipeline from ‘abusive man’ to ‘God-fearing thought leader’ is suspiciously well-funded.”

Others were outraged, accusing her of being anti-faith, elitist, and bitter. Some even resorted to dragging her past in the adult industry as if she hasn’t heard that one before.

But Khalifa, unbothered and undeterred, seemed to relish the backlash. She didn’t delete a single post. No notes app apology. No backpedaling. No “I was taken out of context.” She stood ten toes down in her opinion, lobbing truth bombs and watching the timeline burn.

The Larger Conversation: Faith or Facade?

Love her or loathe her, Mia Khalifa just cracked open a deeper discussion. Why are so many problematic public figures using religion as an escape hatch?

It’s a tale as old as scandal. Public figure gets accused of something awful, disappears for a bit, then reemerges with a cross around their neck, a podcast full of repentance, and a brand-new audience willing to forgive, often without question. It’s redemption for the rich, the male, and the manipulative.

And as Khalifa boldly pointed out, when religion becomes the PR plan, it’s not about faith, it’s about optics.

Mia Said What She Said

In a social media era where everyone is trying to be “palatable,” Khalifa remains a lightning rod of unfiltered opinion. This time, she hit a particularly sensitive nerve.

Her comments weren’t meant to attack spirituality or personal growth. They were a bold critique of the weaponization of religion by individuals who seek salvation without ever doing the hard work of accountability, restitution, or genuine change.

The truth hurts, and sometimes it tweets.