Padma Lakshmi breathes a sigh of relief for ex-husband Salman Rushdie. On Friday, the Midnight’s Children author was stabbed multiple times in an onstage attack while speaking at the Chautauqua Foundation in Chautauqua, New York. READ MORE: Salman Rushdie stabbing suspect arrested for attempted murder, pleads not guilty It was reported the next day that Rushdie had been taken off the ventilator and was recovering after suffering serious injuries. On Sunday morning on Twitter, the author’s ex-wife, Padma Lakshmi, shared that she was “relieved” to learn that Rushdie was “getting over Friday Nightmare.” A relieved @SalmanRushdie moves on after Friday’s nightmare. Anxious and speechless, he can finally exhale. Now we hope for a speedy recovery. — Padma Lakshmi (@PadmaLakshmi) August 14, 2022 Lakshmi and Rushdie married in 2004 after living together for several years. They filed for divorce in 2007. New statement to NBC News from Salman Rushdie’s son about his father’s condition. The author is now off the ventilator and has been able to say a few words, he says. pic.twitter.com/dlHIY9MSFg — Jesse Rodriguez (@JesseRodriguez) August 14, 2022 Rushdie’s son shared an official statement about his father’s condition on Sunday, telling NBC News that the writer “remains in critical condition at the hospital where he is receiving extensive ongoing medical care. We are extremely relieved that yesterday he was taken off the ventilator and extra oxygen and was able to say a few words. “Although his life-changing injuries are serious, his usual sharp and defiant sense of humor remains intact,” his son added. READ MORE: Agent: Rushdie Off Ventilator And Talking, Day After Attack The shooter, 24-year-old Hadi Matar of Fairview, NJ, was arrested and charged with attempted murder and assault, pleading not guilty on Saturday. Rushdie has been the target of death threats for decades since Iran’s late Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa in 1989 calling for his assassination over his controversial book The Satanic Verses. In the wake of the fatwa, Rushdie was placed under police protection by the British government. The author’s Japanese translator, Hitoshi Igarashi, was killed in 1991, and other translators have been the victims of attacks or attempted attacks during this period.
