EgyptAir's in-flight magazine has issued an apology over a bizarre article which claimed to be an interview with actor Drew Barrymore.
The piece, which appeared in Horus magazine, included a number of grammatical errors and several dubious quotes attributed to Barrymore, including one in which the actress “encourages overweight women to lose weight”. It was spotted by Adam Baron, a journalist, who described it as “surreal” when he shared it on social media.
The piece began by shaming the actress for her romantic history, in a segment which read: "Despite being unstable in her relationships most of her life, despite the several unsuccessful marriages and despite the busy life of stardom that dominated her life for several years; the beautiful American Hollywood actress Drew Barrymore has recently decided to temporary [sic] take an unlimited vacation to play her most crucial role as a mother."
The article also quoted Barrymore as saying: “I feel overwhelmed when someone tells me that I have regained my image and managed to lose that extra weight.
"However, I find this a great opportunity to encourage every woman who is overweight to work on regaining her beauty and body, especially that it is not as hard as one may think; it is all about determination and following the appropriate diet under the supervision of a physician."
The magazine's publisher, Ahram Advertising Agency, has now issued a statement which claims the confusion was due to translation issues.
“We apologise for any misunderstanding that might be interpreted as an offence to the great artist,” the agency wrote.
A separate statement by the advertising agency said the introductory paragraphs of the piece were not written by the interviewer, Dr Aida Tekla O'Reilly.
"It is a product of the editor's creativity," the agency wrote, adding that it would investigate whether the lead of the article was an accurate reflection of the actor's own words.
Dr O’Reilly, the former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, has confirmed she wrote the article but said it was edited by the magazine.
She claims the interview with Barrymore took place in New York but a spokesperson for the actor said she “did not participate” in the interview, according to BuzzFeed.
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