A fitness influencer has been forced to apologise after posting a jogging video saying I-RAN and the pain IS-REAL in a joking reference to the Middle East conflict that sparked a furious online backlash and ended with her deleting the clip.
The incident involved Singapore-based fitness and lifestyle influencer Novita Lam, who has more than 400,000 followers on Instagram and around 125,000 on TikTok, and unfolded online after she shared the video from the Marina Bay area of Singapore.
Lam posted the clip to her Instagram Story and TikTok while out running, showing statistics about the distance and pace of her workout.
The post where Singapore-based influencer Novita Lam made an "Iran-Israel" joke, undated. She later apologised. Note: Photo is a screenshot of a post. (Newsflash)
Over the footage she added the caption: “Iran this, Israel that. IRAN 5km and the pain ISREAL,” using the names of the two countries as wordplay.
The caption appeared to refer to the distance she had run and the physical effort involved in the workout.
Screenshots of the post quickly circulated online after users shared the clip across social media platforms including Reddit.
Some social media users criticised the joke as insensitive, arguing that referencing countries currently involved in conflict in the Middle East was inappropriate.
Several commenters accused the influencer of showing a “lack of self-awareness” given the seriousness of the situation.
Singapore-based influencer Novita Lam poses in undated photo. She was criticised after making an "Iran-Israel" joke. Note: Private photo taken from social media. (@novitalam/Newsflash)
Others noted that some Singaporeans are currently in the Middle East and said the post trivialised ongoing tensions in the region.
However, not all reactions were negative.
Some users suggested the backlash was excessive and said the caption appeared to be intended as humour, while others contributed their own country-related wordplay in response.
The original posts were later removed from Lam’s social media accounts.
She subsequently shared an apology on her Instagram Story on 4th March, acknowledging that the post had been insensitive.
Singapore-based influencer Novita Lam makes an apology about "Iran-Israel" joke, undated. She received backlash online. Note: Photo is a screenshot of a post. (Newsflash)
In the statement, Lam said she was “sincerely sorry” for sharing the clip and said she removed it as soon as she realised her mistake.
She added that she would be more mindful about what she posts in the future.
(Mike Leidig / Newsflash)