Petition to Instagram: Remove the Account of Pezhman Behrouzi for Promoting Misogyny in the YouTube Reality Show Eternal Love
23 August 2025
For weeks, a Persian-language reality show called Eternal Love (عشق ابدی) has been airing on YouTube. Marketed as a show about romance and finding a life partner, it was presented as light entertainment. Yet, from the very first episodes, what has actually unfolded is a disturbing spectacle of gender-based violence, misogyny, and normalization of women’s humiliation.
The show, modeled after foreign formats like Love Island, brought together five men and five women under one roof. But instead of fostering healthy relationships, it quickly devolved into a toxic stage where men openly demean women, and the show’s very structure rewards hostility and double standards.
Examples of Misogyny on the Show
Verbal and Physical Abuse of Women: Early episodes featured physical aggression against a female participant (Taraneh), followed by repeated bullying and group shaming of others, especially Negar. The show normalized this harassment as “drama” rather than addressing it as violence.
Sexist Double Standards: When Negar went on several dates, she was labeled with slurs such as “slut” and “rotten apple.” Meanwhile, when a male contestant (Shahin) deceived and manipulated women, other men, including Siawash and Pezhman Behrouzi, defended him and even praised his behavior.
Misogynistic Analogies: In one notorious moment, Pezhman Behrouzi, who was misleadingly introduced as “Doctor,” compared women who have had multiple relationships to a “broken lock” while calling promiscuous men “master keys.” This repulsive statement, met with laughter and applause from others, reinforced the age-old double standard that shames women but excuses men.
Romanticizing Male Control: Even the host, Parastoo Salehi, claimed on air that “deep down, women like it when their partner tells them what to wear or not wear.” Such remarks romanticize control and surveillance over women’s bodies, presenting them as love rather than abuse.
This relentless environment forced several women (Negar, Bahar, and Elaheh) to withdraw from the show for the sake of their dignity and mental health. But the violence did not stop when they left.
Online Harassment and Threats
After leaving the show, Negar continued to face harassment, this time on Instagram. Pezhman Behrouzi escalated his abuse, claiming publicly that Negar’s struggles were because she had been raped at 21, thus weaponizing trauma and perpetuating victim-blaming. Even if such a personal story were true, no survivor should ever be shamed or blamed. The shame belongs to the perpetrator, not the victim.
Pezhman went further, targeting Negar’s family with threats and profanities. His Instagram page has become an extension of the show’s misogyny, a platform for intimidation and degradation of women.
Our Demands
As signatories of this petition, we demand the following:
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Immediate removal of Pezhman Behrouzi’s Instagram account (@dr.pejmanbehroozi): Instagram must uphold its own community standards and deny misogynists a stage for threats and abuse.
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Stronger action against gender-based hate speech on social media: Platforms must suspend or ban accounts that propagate violence and harassment toward women.
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Accountability from the producers of Eternal Love: The show’s creators must issue a public apology to Negar, Bahar, Elaheh, and all women targeted in the show, and commit to never again promoting sexist, abusive content.
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International solidarity: Since the show is produced in Turkey, we call on Turkish feminist organizations to take notice, to raise awareness locally, and to press for regulatory or legal oversight to stop the exploitation of women under the guise of entertainment.
We refuse to allow misogyny to be disguised as entertainment. Eternal Love has crossed every line by normalizing abuse, glorifying sexism, and turning women into objects of mockery. Instagram must act to remove Pezhman Behrouzi’s account, and society at large must send a message: the era of excusing violence against women is over.
We demand respect, equality, and media that honors women, not one that degrades them.
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Initial signatories
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Nadia Aidan, feminist
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Samaneh Savadi, feminist and lawyer
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Salita, musician and singer
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Mina Khani, feminist and human rights activist
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Sareh Seddiqi, women's rights and queer community activist
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Justina, feminist and rapper
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Bahar, rapper and women's rights activist
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Ghazal Abdollahi, artist and photographer
