Lebanese TV presenter Carla Haddad is used to sharing glamorous snapshots from studios, red carpets and event stages. But during a recent work trip to Greece, it was a very different kind of post that captured attention across Lebanese social media: an emotional message about what it feels like to leave a country in crisis in order to keep working.
From a rooftop in Athens, Haddad recorded a story in which she described travelling to earn a living while carrying the weight of Lebanon’s situation with her. “We travel to work and earn money, but our hearts are broken and hurting,” she wrote, explaining that the worries of family, safety and basic stability never really leave, even when the scenery changes.
She went further, questioning what she called the “cross” that Lebanon has been forced to bear – a small country that seems constantly targeted by regional and global turmoil. For many Lebanese facing similar dilemmas, the words felt painfully familiar: flights abroad to secure an income, constant check-ins with loved ones back home, and the guilt of not being physically present when things get worse.
The reaction was immediate and mixed. Supporters praised Haddad for putting into words what thousands of Lebanese professionals, especially in media and entertainment, quietly experience as they shuttle between jobs abroad and families in Lebanon. Others criticised her for working outside the country at a time when many feel that public figures should “stay and endure” alongside those who have no way out.
Behind the debate is Haddad’s long career. She started as a model in her teens before becoming a familiar face on Lebanese television through comedy shows, weather segments and primetime entertainment programmes. Over the years, she has hosted a string of popular formats and live events, building a fanbase across the Arab region and a large following on Instagram, where she often blends behind-the-scenes moments with personal reflections.
Her recent post sits at the intersection of that public persona and private conflict. It shows a presenter who is still in demand abroad, but who does not feel fully at ease with the emotional price of leaving – even temporarily – while Lebanon’s economic and political crises grind on.
For Nowleb’s readers around the world, Haddad’s words are a reminder that the Lebanese diaspora is not simply a story of opportunity and success. It is also a story of people who board planes for work with heavy hearts, trying to hold together livelihoods in one place and loved ones in another.
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