Pakistani star Ushna Shah quits Instagram after being trolled for her wedding dress

Pakistani actress Ushna Shah, who was massively trolled online for her choice of wedding dress, has announced that she is taking a break from social media following the backlash.

The actress, who recently tied the knot with golf player Hamza Amin, had worn a glamorous red colour bridal dress for the ceremony. But soon after the wedding, photos and videos of the event were shared, and fans took to social media and objected to the colour and style of her dress, the song she had selected for the ceremony, and the kind of celebrations she had organised for her big day.

According to some media reports, Shah had received 'hundreds of thousands of messages' because she got married in her 'own way'.

Sharing a screenshot of her chat with the photographer who had used drones to take photos of the event without her consent, the actor posted on Instagram, "I apologised to AB (a fashion blogger) only to save him from trolling and I am getting mercilessly bullied for getting married my way.”

“I had a human moment and I reacted.”

“[I am getting bullied] for getting married my way. For desperately trying to keep my shaadi (marriage) my own. For being upset that my nikkah (wedding ceremony) got interrupted by a drone and for feeling violated. Hundreds of thousands of messages. This is beyond cruel,” she wrote.

“Please forgive me for wearing what I wore and for trying to protect what was meant to be only mine. I did not sign up for any of this. I’m bowing out of this narrative.”

She further said that she was quitting Instagram. "I haven't reacted to online trolling for years, but I am a human being at a very vulnerable time of my life. A new bride in a new home. From hiring photography teams, who signed NDAs to hiring security and (following) strict guest lists, I wanted to protect our union and only share what I was comfortable with. I worked very hard for this time to be private.

"Several people invaded that privacy to exploit our happy occasion, including disrupting our nikkah (wedding). Like any bride would be, I was mortified, only times a million. I had a human moment and reacted; I exposed the first person I learnt invaded my privacy…"

"I have read many of the comments, they don't seem to stop. Please believe that I did not get married to offend our culture. That was not the intention, and if that is what people feel I have done then I apologise for letting them down. I am going to sign off from this platform (Instagram) for a few days for the sake of my mental health and to spend this precious time and energy on my wonderful husband and my new family, who are a blessing. I am also questioning if I am cut out for this job. Thank you for the love and prayers.”

Shah is popular for her roles oinn television series as well as in movies such as ‘Teri Meri Love Story’, ‘Oye Kuch Kar Guzar’ and ‘Punjab Nahi Jaungi’.

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