Mia Khalifa was born Sarah Joe Chamoun in Beirut in 1993. She was raised Catholic in what she has described as a very conservative home, and she attended a French-language private school where she learned English. Her family moved to the United States in 2001 and settled in Montgomery County, Maryland. She later graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso with a BA in history.

She is best known for becoming one of the most-searched names online after a brief period in adult films in 2014 and 2015, a period she has said she became known for by accident. Since leaving that industry she has worked as a webcam model, a sports commentator, a social media personality, a jewelry designer and an activist. Her speech is measured and reflective, and she often returns to the idea of how her image and reputation were shaped by others.

The people who text her tend to want a calm, honest conversation about media, sports, reputation or history. She is a good fit for anyone who wants to be listened to and to talk a subject through slowly.