Egyptian actor Bayoumi Fouad broke his silence regarding the case of his colleague Mohamed Salam yesterday, Thursday, and once again topped the conversation on social media in his country, after the incident that occurred late last year caused widespread and unprecedented criticism of Fouad.
After the outbreak of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, and the spread of pictures of the massacres committed by the occupation against the residents of the besieged Strip, Salam came out in October 25 Al-Mady, through a video on social media, apologized for presenting the play “Artificial Marriage,” in which Fouad is starring, as part of the activities of the Riyadh Theater Season, in solidarity with the suffering of the Palestinian people.
After the video, in which Salam received widespread praise, he was replaced by actor Mohamed Anwar. Fouad came out after the play was shown in Riyadh, saying: “We did not come to the Kingdom to laugh, but to present art.”
Pointing to Salam, he added: “You have the right to apologize for the play, but you do not have the right to commit a mistake against your art.”
This attack represented a turning point in the career of Fouad, who lost tens of thousands of followers on his social media pages, and dozens of activists launched a series of criticisms against him, while Salam received great support in the face of this attack on him.
Fouad refuses to apologise
Fouad, who appeared yesterday in a televised interview on the “Cairo and the People” channel, refused to apologize for his attack on Salam, and said that he had always treated the latter as a father would treat his son, and that Salam considered him his “spiritual father,” especially since they had long participated in episodes. The series “Al-Kabir Awi” with the star Ahmed Mekky.
Fouad recounted the details of his contact with Salam after he learned the news of his withdrawal from work at that time, and that the latter told him that he could not present the show because of the scenes taking place in Gaza, especially the martyrdom of children. Fouad said during the interview that he asked Salam: “What can we do?”
Fouad continued his statements by narrating that he explained to Salam how he prays to God in all his prayers for the people of Gaza, even before he prayed for his children, but he asked Salam to take into account that the play is a “door of livelihood” for the participants.
After Salam contributed to nominating a replacement for him, according to Fouad’s statements, the director of the work, angry at the video of the withdrawing actor, asked that Fouad put pressure on Salam to delete the video clip from social media, but the latter refused in a phone call that was the last between them, before they recorded scenes for the series “” The big one”, both separately, in reference to the ongoing dispute between them, according to Fouad.
Bayoumi revealed that star Ahmed Mekky tried to mediate a reconciliation between them, but Fouad refused and said: “This issue will end with God, and there each of us will get his rights.”
Criticism again
Fouad again criticized Salam, explaining that the incident had caused him great attacks from people, and that he had lived the worst five days of his life.
He blamed Salam for not coming out to defend him or his replacement, Anwar, who was afraid of returning to Egypt, according to Bayoumi Fouad.
Despite this step that came late by Bayoumi Fouad, the latter was not free from criticism over the interview itself. Activist Fathi Abu Hatab said on the To its final stop. Bayoumi Fouad did not manage his problem well.”
As for Samar Al-Hajjah, she wrote: “When I watched the episode with Bayoumi Fouad, during which he defended himself, I loved Muhammad Salam more, and respected him more.” While Hazem Hanafi wrote in Egyptian colloquial language: “I came to apply kohl to her and blinded her.”