EgyptAir magazine apologises over controversial Drew Barrymore article
EgyptAir’s in-flight magazine has apologised over an interview with actress Drew Barrymore that was so bizarre many people on social media questioned whether it was fake.
The article went viral after being posted online by a journalist who spotted it during a flight, and the Charlie’s Angels and E.T. actress’s representatives claimed she hadn’t participated in the interview.
The publisher Ahram Advertising Agency now says the confusion was due to translation issues. It said the interview for Horus magazine was conducted in English by its Hollywood reporter Aida Takla O’Reilly, then translated into Arabic and subsequently translated back into English.
"We apologise for any misunderstanding that might be interpreted as an offence to the great artist," the agency said.
The piece, which included photographs of the actress posing, opened with observations about Barrymore’s romantic life, describing earlier relationships as ‘unstable’ and it said she had ‘several unsuccessful marriages’.
The article went on to praise the 43-year-old for ‘her previous graceful body’ after giving birth, before 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."
Last week Egyptair defended the article, saying it was carried out by a Hollywood reporter, but Barrymore’s representatives said quotes were taken from a press conference.
Ahram Advertising Agency said Barrymore’s representatives had agreed to the interview ‘not knowing’ that Ms O’Reilly worked for the in-flight magazine and other publications, and it admitted the controversial introduction to the article was not written by O’Reilly.
"As is generally accepted, the lead is not part of the text of the article. It is a product of the editor’s creativity produced on the condition that it contains no information that is contrary to the truth," it said.
"We are about to investigate this by checking thoroughly the source material that the translator depended on to write the interview."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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