Haifa Wehbe was born in a small farming town near Southern Lebanon. She grew up listening to jazz and R&B. She became a model at a very young age and won the title of "Miss South Lebanon" at age sixteen. Wehbe's next distinction came in 1995 when she was runner up for Miss Lebanon. It was shortly discovered that she was married and had a daughter named Zeinab (Zaza). Her title was thus revoked. By 1996, she had recovered from the scandal and continued to model. She was seen on over 100 magazine covers. In 2006, she was on People Magazine's 50 most beautiful people list.
She released her first album, titled Huwa az-Zaman ( It is Time) which was a hit thanks to her debut single "Agoul Ahwak" (I say I love you)".
Musical career
Her second album Baddi 'Ayš ( I Want to Live) was released in 2005 and lived up to expectations due to the success of its lead single "Hayat Albi." Released after the assassination of Lebanese politician Rafik Hariri, the song of the same name is about "freedom, considered to be among the most basic of human rights."
Her follow-up single was her biggest hit to date, "Ana Haifa" (I am Haifa) which became her novelty song. In 2006 she released a follow up single Bus al-Wawa which so far has sold respectably.
On June 10, 2006 Haifa became the first artist in the Arab world to perform with rapper 50 Cent when she performed as an opening act for his first concert in Lebanon, at BIEL in Beirut
Television appearances
She remains popular among Lebanon's youth and makes countless television appearances. In July 2005, Wehbe, along with 14 other celebrities from the Arab world, began airing the live pan-Arab reality show series The Valley ( Al-Wadi), based on the French reality show La Ferme Célébrités. The show aired for three months. The show featured weekly live performances in which Wehbe played a central role as well as singing songs from her new album.
Her other non-musical successes include a few movie roles and TV hosting. Wehbe has also designed her own range of diamond jewelry. She has also been a spokesperson for Pepsi.
Personal life
Wehbe is a Shi'a Muslim. Her 3 sisters are Alia, Hanna and Rola. The singer lost her brother at the age of 24 in a conflict with Israel in the 1980s.
During Wehbe's marriage, she gave birth to a daughter named Zeinab Zaza. Wehbe has not seen her child since the divorce. Her ex-husband has engaged in parental alienation for over 10 years.
In 2005, she announced her engagement to a Saudi businessman Tariq Al-Jaffali. Rumors about the expensive gifts he offered her began to circulate immediately. However, after only a few weeks, she and her fiancé decided to split for personal reasons and family issues.
