A supermodel pleads for compassion as she cites unseen struggles behind her husband’s shocking mid-air breakdown

8 August 2025

Pakistani actress Abeer Rizvi appeared to defend her vile husband on social media. Credit: Instagram

Salman Iftikhar’s violent and vitriolic meltdown aboard a Virgin Atlantic flight in February 2023 still lingers both in the courtroom and across social media where a chilling portrayal of rage overturned what should have been a routine first‑class journey.

On that flight from London to Lahore, a champagne-fueled Iftikhar erupted during service, grabbing ice with his bare hands and hurling degrading, racist, and sexually violent threats at veteran flight attendant Angie Walsh. He told her he knew her hotel room, threatened to “gang‑rape” and set her on fire, attempted to fight a male attendant, and unleashed a torrent of slurs calling her a “racist f‑king bitch.” The terrifying scene left Walsh emotionally shattered, forcing her off duty for fourteen months.

Months later, Iftikhar was arrested at his home in Buckinghamshire and ultimately sentenced to fifteen months in prison on charges including threats to kill and racially aggravated harassment, though some counts were dropped. His recruitment firm, Staffing Match, collapsed under £22 million of debt, and his once-glamorous life quickly unraveled.

Amid the fallout, Abeer Rizvi orchestrator of glossy Instagram portraits and a celebrated figure in Pakistani fashion took a markedly different approach on her own platform. Without directly referencing the incident, she implored followers to extend grace and understanding, writing “Mental health is not a joke.

Behind every story, there’s pain you don’t see,” followed by “Before judging, try understanding. Be kind. Be human” Rizvi, who resides in Pakistan, manages a salon and enjoys a following of over half a million across TikTok and Instagram, in addition to her modeling and acting work. She won Veet Miss Super Model in 2012 and has appeared in Urdu films such as Raasta and J.I.T.

Walsh, who endured the brunt of Iftikhar’s aggression, testified that the incident made her question her future in aviation. After decades of service including flights to warzones and post-9/11 missions she described this episode as “the one that broke me” Virgin Atlantic, meanwhile, reaffirmed its zero‑tolerance stance on abuse and lauded the professionalism and bravery of its crew during the harrowing encounter.

The discord between Rizvi’s appeals for silent compassion and the grave reality of Iftikhar’s actions has sparked broader discourse around accountability, privilege, and the public discussion or dismissal of mental health in the context of violence. Many have questioned whether her message inadvertently diminishes Walsh’s trauma or shifts sympathy toward the aggressor.

Regardless of motive, the conversation continues: a distinguished woman behind a glamorous façade asking for empathy while the legal verdict stands and a devoted career has been left in tatters.