Lebanese singer Nicole Saba expressed her anger towards comments made by an unnamed actress, which contained insinuations and mockery of her for staying home and not working on any new projects.
Nicole described the actress's behavior as inappropriate, stating that no one knows what opportunities she is being offered or the reasons behind her decisions to accept or decline new roles. During her appearance with journalist Rudolf Helal on the program "Al-Muwajaha," she explained that the drama market in Lebanon largely revolves around two companies, “Eagle Films” and “Sabah Brothers,” which often focus on the actresses themselves.
Nicole voiced her disappointment regarding her experience with the series "Al-Hayba," revealing that she signed to film the second and third seasons and, as a result, turned down participation in two Egyptian series to take part in this project. She stated, "There were many promises made by producer Sadiq Sabah, whom I respect greatly, that this experience would lead to good fortune and open doors to many opportunities. Unfortunately, from the beginning, efforts were made to undermine me, whether through the placement of my image in the promotional poster or even in the teaser."
She added, "Honestly, they don’t like me, and they haven’t done anything to help me; they should respect my experience and the effort I put in, especially since I believe that the role of 'Sumaya' was the strongest female role in all parts of Al-Hayba, and I stand by that."
Nicole disclosed that when she was offered to participate in the second season, only seven episodes had been written, and she was unaware of many issues. She asserted, "It doesn't shake me." She emphasized the need for transparency and knowledge in dealings, clarifying that actor Taim Hassan had no part in what happened, and she respects his professionalism and their joint experience.
The Lebanese singer prayed for forgiveness for those responsible, stating: "Nicole is not a scapegoat; I was let down, and it wasn't what I hoped for. Sadiq Sabah knows very well that I was wronged and agrees with me. I consider myself successful in the second part and am satisfied with what I delivered, but there are many questions. With all due respect to the company's history, I was saddened and didn’t deserve this treatment. I wish the walls could talk and echo the promises of future work and upcoming stardom. Those supporting them have nothing better than me; they haven’t traveled a quarter of the path that I have paved 75% of."
Saba mentioned that the malice began with the first episode, stating that those voices should have been silenced, as no one knows what is happening between the producer and the actor, especially since she felt like a "scapegoat," and things were directed to patch other issues in the second part. She wished there would be compensation for what happened with other works.
It is worth noting that Nicole Saba ranked the four seasons of "Al-Hayba" in sequential order, stating that the first place belongs to the first season starring actress Nadine Njeim, second to the fourth season starring actress Dima Kandalaft, third to the second season in which she starred, and the last place to the third season starring actress Cyrine Abdelnour.
