Abeer Rizvi, who is often in the spotlight for her past as a supermodel, is now defending her husband, Salman Iftikhar, following his sentencing for a disturbing incident during a flight. He had faced serious charges after a meltdown that included threatening a flight attendant.
Rizvi pointed to her husband’s mental health struggles as a factor in his erratic behavior on the Virgin Atlantic flight. “Mental health is no joke. Behind every story, there’s pain you don’t see,” she shared on her Instagram story.
She urged people to look beyond the headlines and to empathize instead of judging. “Try to understand,” she wrote. “Be kind. Be human.”
Iftikhar, the head of a recruitment firm called Staffing Match, has two wives: Rizvi and Erum Salman. Rizvi runs a salon and is active on social media, boasting a sizable following on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
The incident occurred on February 7, 2023, when Iftikhar, traveling with his three children, became intoxicated and confrontational. He was reportedly seen causing a scene during the first service of the flight, grabbing ice aggressively.
As tensions escalated, flight attendants tried to defuse the situation. Iftikhar reacted with insults directed at one of them. Reports indicate he made threatening comments about a hotel room and the staff.
Despite the chaos, crew members managed to bring him back to his seat without needing police intervention at the time. However, British authorities would later arrest him in mid-March at his home worth $1.2 million.
At the time of the incident, his business faced dire financial difficulties, eventually going bankrupt with debts totaling $228 million. Iftikhar admitted to making threats but contested other accusations related to altercations with attendants.
On August 5, 2025, Iftikhar received a 15-month prison sentence after a court hearing where flight attendant Angie Walsh testified, discussing the trauma she endured from the event, which forced her to take significant time off work.
In her testimony, Walsh reflected on her long career with Virgin Atlantic and how the incident shattered her passion for her job. “I’ve been flying for 37 years… but he’s taken it from me,” she expressed, highlighting the emotional toll it had taken on her.
Virgin Atlantic publicly backed Walsh for her bravery in the courtroom and emphasized their commitment to passenger and crew safety. “We have a zero-tolerance policy for abusive behavior on board,” a spokesperson stated, expressing admiration for Walsh’s handling of a challenging situation.
As the fallout continues, Rizvi has not publicly addressed her husband’s sentencing since the trial.
