Sophia Lee clears the air. The creator of the X account @sophialeetravel has become the target of a viral backlash this week in a video of her in a pink saree that circulated on the platform X for reasons she certainly did not intend.
A Viral Clip Based on a Lie
The video was of Lee striking a pose in front of a mirror in a pink saree. The intention behind the video was just a simple one relating to fashion, travel, and expression. But when a person named LindyTasteful in the X social site reposted the video, the context was altered to become something negative.
The repost introduced a fake text message displayed on screen that read: “When they said saree is only for desi girls. challenge accepted,” but the caption was even more problematic:
“Going to India just to mog the locals.”
Such was the offending language that resulted in people being outraged against Lee for her act of cultural appropriation, mocking, or lack of respect for South Asian women and Indian culture. The video was viewed over 17 million times.
Sophia Lee Speaks Out
But as the clip continued to spread online, Lee made sure to have her voice heard. This was when she took to X to share that the video was stolen, edited, and manipulated without her consent.
“PLEASE DON’T steal my videos to create disgusting fake narratives!! Desi girls wear sarees best 100% 🙌🏼 the idea of trying to “mog” someone in their cultural attire is absolutely ridiculous 🤦🏼♀️”
Her message clearly stated that the offending text in the image was neither a part of her original posts nor represents her opinions.
