In April 2013, a controversy erupted when photos surfaced online showing a woman resembling Riahi without a hijab at a concert in Los Angeles with Iranian pop singer Ebrahim Hamedi (Ebi). Iranian state media and conservative outlets quickly speculated that the woman was Riahi, leading to public condemnation and official comments.
Farajollah Salahshour, Riahi’s former director, seized the moment to criticize what he saw as moral decay in the Iranian film industry, stating that “cinema drowns its filmmakers in pollution and corruption.” Meanwhile, a deputy in Iran’s police force claimed that the authorities were investigating cases of Iranian actresses appearing unveiled abroad through Interpol.
Riahi firmly denied that the woman in the photos was her, expressing regret over the smear campaign:
“I regret that in the progressive society of Iran, some people are trying to destroy well-known figures out of ignorance and lack of knowledge.”
