Padma Lakshmi has expressed her relief that her ex-husband, Sir Salman Rushdie, is “pulling through” after he was stabbed at an event in New York on Friday.
The 75-year-old celebrated author was stabbed in the neck, stomach, eye, chest and thigh as he prepared to give a talk at the Chautauqua Institution.
Rushdie was airlifted to hospital where he was placed on a ventilator.
He was finally able to breathe unassisted and “say a few words” over the weekend.
His former partner, Lakshmi, has expressed her wish for “swift healing”.
She wrote in a tweet: “Relieved @SalmanRushdie is pulling through after Friday’s nightmare,” Lakshmi, 51, tweeted. “Worried and wordless, can finally exhale. Now hoping for swift healing.”
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Actress/model-turned-TV chef Lakshm was married to Rushdie from 2004 until 2007.
Rushdie’s son Zafar previously confirmed his father was off the ventilator and was able to “saw a few words” despite suffering “life-changing” injuries.
He wrote: “My father remains in critical condition in hospital receiving extensive ongoing medical treatment. We are extremely relived that yesterday he was taken off the ventilator and additional oxygen and was able to say a few words.
“Though his life-changing injuries are severe, his usual feisty and defiant sense of humour remains in tact.”
Zafar thanked the police officers and doctors who had looked after his father. He also thanked audience members at the talk in New York who rushed to his defence after the attack and administered first aid.
Hadi Matar, 24, pleaded not guilty to attempted murder during an arraignment hearing on Saturday.
Jason Schmidt, the Chautauqua County District Attorney, said before the hearing: “The individual responsible for the attack, Hadi Matar, has now been formally charged with attempted murder in the second degree and assault in the second degree.”
Rushdie has suffered years of Islamist death threats following the publication of his controversial 1988 novel “The Satanic Verses”, which was considered blasphemous by many Muslims.
A fatwa calling for Rushdie’s assassination was issued by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the Supreme Leader of Iran. The author spent nearly a decade in hiding after its publication.
