Padma Lakshmi Speaks Out After Ex-Husband Salman Rushdie Stabbed on Stage
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Padma Lakshmi's ex-husband, author Salman Rushdie, was stabbed this past weekend in western New York.
When the disturbing incident occurred on Aug. 12, Rushdie, 75, was on stage at the Chautauqua Institution gearing up to speak at a scheduled lecture as a man rushed the stage and attacked the author.
Rushdie was stabbed multiple times by the attacker before being airlifted from the nonprofit education and retreat center to an area hospital, according to statements made by New York State police in a press release.
Lakshmi, who was married to Rushdie from 2004 until 2007, spoke out publicly about her ex-husband's assault for the first time on Sunday.
In a message posted on Twitter, the host of Bravo's Top Chef, author and activist sighed with relief as she updated fans on Rushdie's status.
"Relieved @SalmanRushdie is pulling through after Friday’s nightmare. Worried and wordless, can finally exhale. Now hoping for swift healing," she wrote.
The author has remained in critical condition, but his “condition is headed in the right direction,” his agent shared with The Associated Press.
His son from a previous relationship, Zafar Rushdie, 42, added: “Though his life changing injuries are severe, his usual feisty & defiant sense of humor remains intact.”
Rushdie's condition immediately following the attack was grave. He sustained liver damage, severed nerves in both his arm and eye, and had to be put on a ventilator, according to previous reports.
The other speaker on stage, Henry Reese, 73, was also said to have been attacked but not as severely as Rushdie as official statements report Reese suffered "a minor head injury."
While the motive for the attack still remains unclear, Rushdie has been a longstanding target of violence since the release of his controversial book, "The Satanic Verses," nearly 30 years ago, according to AP.
Authorities said they identified the attacker, who was arrested at the scene, as Hadi Matar, 24, of Fairview, New Jersey.
Matar was arraigned in court on Aug. 13 and pleaded not guilty. He was remanded without bail at Chautauqua County Jail, according to state police.
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