Osama bin Laden's niece, Wafah Dufour bin Ladin, has been signed up for a new reality TV show about her life as a singer.
It will follow singer-songwriter Wafah, whose father is the half-brother of Osama bin Laden (whose side of the family spell their surname differently), as she follows her dreams of being an entertainer.
Producers of the show insist its purpose is to show her Wafah's rising music career as a "pop-rock singer and musician" and to highlight how other cultures are the same as ours:
"Her story will bridge the gap that people feel exists between the cultures she has lived in. Her history and her quest for stardom will make for a compelling television series.
"It's the story of Wafah trying to make it as a singer and the many cultures she comes from. It's just showing that someone from these different cultures has the same aspirations, fears and insecurities that any 20-something would have."
But as a top music industry insider says: he's “never heard of her. The only reason anyone is doing a reality show on her is because she's bin Laden's niece.”
Wafah – who says she's never met her infamous uncle - hopes to use the show to challenge people's perceptions of her: "I understand that when people hear my last name, they have preconceived notions, but I was born an American, and I love my country," she says.
"It's really tough that I have to always explain myself," she has said. "It's like every time I meet someone, I have to move a huge mountain that's in front of me, and sometimes I get tired."
