The supermodel wife of the disgraced executive, who was jailed for threatening to rape a flight attendant, defended him just days after the disturbing incident led to his sentencing. Abeer Rizvi implied her husband, Salman Iftikhar, was suffering from mental health problems.
She believes that his mental health issues triggered his abusive outburst toward Virgin Atlantic flight attendant Angie Walsh during an eight-hour first-class flight in 2023. Iftikhar, founder of the recruitment company Staffing Match, is married to both Abeer Rizvi and Erum Salman, the Daily Mail reported. "Mental health is not a joke. Behind every story, there's pain you don't see," Rizvi wrote on her Instagram Story on Thursday.
Defending Her Convicted Husband
"Before judging, try understanding," Rizvi said, adding, "Be kind. Be human." Rizvi lives in Pakistan, where she runs a beauty salon and regularly shares glamorous photos with her 500,000 followers on TikTok and Instagram.
On February 7, 2023, Iftikhar was on a flight from London, England, to Lahore, Pakistan, accompanied by Erum Salman and their three children, when he got drunk and caused a disturbance during the journey.
The 37-year-old father of three was drinking champagne in front of his children during the flight's first meal service when he suddenly reached over the counter and began grabbing ice with his bare hands, according to the Mirror.
Flight attendants quickly intervened, telling Iftikhar to return to his seat. However, he turned aggressive and verbally abusive.
"Don't tell me what to do, you racist f–king bitch. I know where you are from in Cardiff," he shouted during the flight, as reported by the outlet.
Iftikhar tried to physically confront male flight attendant Tommy Merchant before escalating the situation by horrifyingly revealing the hotel room where Walsh would be staying at the Avari Lahore Hotel.
"The white sheep s–ing bitch will be dead. The floor of your hotel will be blown up and it will disappear," Iftikhar shouted, according to the Mirror. "You will be dragged by your hair from your room and gang-raped and set on fire."
Authorities managed to calm the irate executive and get him back to his seat, and Iftikhar was allowed to leave the flight in Pakistan without any involvement from law enforcement.
Punished at Last
Police in England arrested Iftikhar on March 16, 2024 at his $1.2 million home in Iver. The recruitment firm Staffing Match, co-managed by Iftikhar and Salmar, went bankrupt after amassing $22.8 million in debt in the wake of his arrest, according to the Daily Mail
Iftikhar confessed to threatening to kill and racially harassing Walsh during the flight but denied any harassment charges related to his confrontation with Merchant.
Iftikhar was sentenced to 15 months in prison for his outburst during a hearing at Isleworth Crown Court on Tuesday.
Walsh gave testimony at the hearing, saying that the incident left her deeply traumatized and compelled her to take a 14-month leave from work to recover.
"I am a strong, brave, happy stewardess, and loved my job. I am well-known within the company. I have been flying with Virgin Atlantic for 37 years. I was working when all flights were grounded on 9/11, and I've even flown into a warzone. But this incident has broken me," she read in a victim impact statement.
"Never in my entire career flying for 37 years have I not been sure what to do. I have had the best career in the world for 37 years. But he has taken that away from me," she added.
