50 lawyers sue Egypt's iconic pop star Amr Diab for $21 million over slapping fan

An Egyptian court is due next month to look into a lawsuit filed by over 50 lawyers against iconic pop star Amr Diab after he slapped a fan in the face at a high-profile wedding in the capital, Cairo.

The defence team, mostly from Egypt's southern Luxor city, the hometown of the claimant, called for a billion Egyptian pounds in compensation (about US$ 21 million) for "emotional distress and public humiliation." The first trial session is due on 30 July.  

Diab, while singing at the wedding of the daughter of film producer Mohamed Saady, was caught on camera as he slapped a man in the face after he had grabbed him to take a selfie picture. The superstar then left the scene and his bodyguards pushed the man back.

Shortly after the incident, the two men filed police reports against each other. In his complaint, Diab accused the fan of forcibly grabbing him to take the picture and putting the mobile phone before his face.  

"Legally, if Diab is proven guilty, he is likely to face a misdemeanour punishable by a maximum of a one-year sentence and/or a financial compensation of no more than one million EGP," lawyer Mohamed Ibrahim told The New Arab.

"But Diab's defence may prove he was harassed and reacted in self-defence after the footage in question is analysed by the criminal lab experts," he added.

In recent days, the slapping incident has drawn mixed reactions on social media among Diab's fans and fellow artists, with many accusing the internationally award-winning 62-year-old singer of being arrogant and rude to his fans.

Others, however, attempted to justify the act, viewing it as a natural reaction to a fan who may have touched him inappropriately.

Other social media users, meanwhile, mocked the singer, posting memes and doctored video segments of him impersonating an outraged wrestler.

Amr Diab in his next concert with his fans: pic.twitter.com/W0f5huv9lX

— ⭕ Al Yazi, The illuSionist (@Alyazi_uae) June 11, 2024

Diab had reportedly been involved in a similar incident, also caught on camera by fans who happened to be at the scene, as asked about his driver, saying, "Where is our animal?"

The Egyptian celebrity has over the years refrained from talking to the media for, arguably, not being eloquent.  TNA could not reach Diab's agent for comment.

But as the debate continues, Diab's newly-released song, "El-Ta'ama" (cuteness), has been launched on Thursday on YouTube.

Diab is no stranger to controversy. In December 2021, social media users accused the pop star of enabling sexual harassment of women after starring in a controversial TV commercial for a new Citroën car, prompting the French company to pull the ad out.

Dubbed by the media and his fans as El-Hadaba (the plateau), in reference to his popularity and status, Diab is one of the richest and most successful singers of his generation. He began his career in commercial pop music in the early 1980s and garnered a wide base of fans, with his Facebook page having 22 million followers.