Soraya was fascinated with Hollywood and enjoyed meeting American film stars during her stay in Los Angeles. During her time in Los Angeles, Soraya met her favorite stars who were Grace Kelly, Lauren Bacall, Bob Hope, Esther Williams, and Humphrey Bogart. A photograph of Queen Soraya water-skiing in Miami while wearing a bikini became extremely controversial in Iran. Soraya was widely condemned for her immorality for her swimsuit, which was not considered a proper dress for a Muslim, and the photo was banned in Iran in attempt to silence the criticism of the "ulema".