Yemeni influencer dubbed 'Timhouthi Chalamet' doesn't like that he went viral for looking like a film star
- A Yemeni man has been given the nickname "Timhouthi Chalamet" on social media.
- But he told MailOnline he doesn't want people to focus on his looks.
The Yemeni man, dubbed "Timhouthi Chalamet," who filmed himself on a cargo ship captured by Houthis in the Red Sea, said he doesn't want people to focus on his appearance.
Rashid Al Haddad posted several videos touring a cargo ship captured by Houthis on social media. His account on TikTok disappeared, but he has 30,000 followers on Instagram.
Al Haddad's appearance earned him fans, including those who said he resembled the actor Timothée Chalamet. That similarity earned him the nickname "Timhouthi Chalamet."
In an interview with MailOnline, he said he would rather people focus on his support of the "Palestinian cause" rather than his looks.
He said the comparison to the Hollywood actor is "one thing and another."
"I am a Yemeni Muslim. I support the Palestinian cause, and I do not think about what they say about me on social media sites," he said.
"My goal is for people to interact and take the side of Palestine. I will be grateful to everyone."
He thanked everyone who left comments, but said "they focused on beauty and did not focus on the Palestinian issue."
Al Haddad reiterated the message on X.
"I did not talk about beauty or anything else, but our issue is Palestine, and this is not the time to talk about beauty," he said, according to Dazed.
"I hope that my message will reach you, a free Palestine, and we will ignite it against the Israeli aggression that violates human rights."
However, after making headlines, Al Haddad posted a side-by-side photo of him and Chalamet, suggesting they "star" in something together.
"What do you think?" he asked his followers.
It's unclear whether TikTok removed Al Haddad's account, Vice News reported. But he has since started a new one, gaining more than a thousand followers in two days. TikTok and Al Haddad did not return Business Insider's request for comment.
Al Haddad's Instagram profile is full of videos of him aboard the Galaxy Leader, which the Houthi militant group hijacked on November 19. It was one of the biggest gains in the Red Sea by the Houthis, who have also attacked ships with missiles and drones.
Many have been critical the fandom, saying Al Haddad's content is glamorizes the Houthis, who are accused of widespread war crimes and human-rights violations by groups such as Human Rights Watch.
The Houthis have been attacking shipping vessels around the Red Sea for several weeks, in one of the world's most vital trade routes. They say it is in protest of Israel's bombings in Gaza.
The group has supported Hamas since its terrorist attack on Israel in October and has said they've attacked dozens of ships passing through the Suez Canal in retaliation.
The delays caused by the hijacks could have a massive negative impact on the global economy.