Model Robina Khan Shah clarifies claims of husband physically abusing renowned makeup artist

The Pakistani fashion and beauty industry was struck with scandal when news broke yesterday that a makeup artist had been physically assaulted by a model’s husband and his guards on the set of a photoshoot.

Model Mushk Kaleem was the first to bring this matter to light, sharing her understanding of the event on her Instagram story, after which more people started speaking out about the incident. It was later revealed that model Robina Khan’s husband had attacked professional and celebrity makeup artist Bryan William over his alleged refusal to carry Robina’s cell phone.

Mushk’s full statement read as follows, “Just heard that a model's husband brought armed gunmen on set, beat up a Nabila makeup artist in front of other models, over the makeup artist refusing to carry her personal belongings. Imagine you're shooting in peace, and someone's husband and his goons bring weapons with them and start physically assaulting someone while you're shooting. Appalled. Baffled. Disgusted. I hope this model's name comes out. I hope no designer/model/ photographer ever works with her. Also hoping that the Nabila team takes corrective measures and protects its employees.”

Eyewitness account

Model Erica Robin then reposted Mushk’s story and corroborated her story, writing: “I was an eyewitness, and what I witnessed was incredibly horrifying and disturbing.” Erica and Mushk were the first to speak out about this incident because they were on set and witnessed the entire situation unfold. However, when they first shared their accounts of the happening, they did not name the model whose husband had perpetrated the attack.

Industry speaks out

After their accounts came out, artist Yusra Shahid took to her Instagram story, named the model in question, and called her out for her behaviour. She wrote: “Shame, Robina Khan Shah! Bringing in goons and beating up a makeup artist just because he refused to carry your personal items is beyond disgraceful, disrespectful, and illegal! This is no way to treat anybody! Unethical!”

The identity of the model was then further confirmed when Mushk reposted Yusra’s story and posted another story calling out Robina herself. In this story, she wrote, “Robina Khan Shah you should be ashamed of yourself. You're a godless woman. I'm sure you must've felt really powerful when your husband came to your rescue to beat up a makeup artist. I'm at a loss for words. All designers, fellow models, makeup artists, photographers- the entire fashion fraternity should ban this girl.”

As soon as the story broke, several members of the beauty and fashion fraternity took to their social media to express their anger and disappointment over the incident, call out Robina for causing violence in a professional work setting, and talk about the general negative attitudes towards makeup artists that lead to such incidents of mistreatment on set.

Bryan William has maintained his silence throughout this ordeal, even as his friends and co-workers have flocked to his side to support him. However, he has been reposting a number of Instagram stories condemning the attack and calling for Robina Khan to be held accountable for her actions.

'The other side of the story'

Since news broke of this unfortunate occurrence, Robina has also posted her side of the story. According to her, the situation escalated when the makeup artist allegedly insulted and swore at her when requesting Bryan to carry her cell phone while she was getting her shots taken. Then, when her husband came to pick her up from the set, things took a turn for the worse. He demanded to know who had misbehaved with his wife, and when Bryan admitted it was him, Robina’s husband slapped him.

“There are always two sides to a story, and this side comes from a mother, a professional model who is responsible for taking care of her ailing parents and a dedicated wife. No husband would tolerate his wife being called a 'DO TAKAY KI MODEL. The argument started when I requested a makeup artist to carry my phone when I was ready for my shot on shoot today. He blatantly said that he was not going to do that and that 'do takay' ki model like me should take care of her own stuff and also swore at me, that made made me really upset, so I, in turn, also swore at him."

She went on to add, "Amidst all this chaos, my driver called my husband and told him what had happened. I am sure that no respectable husband would tolerate anyone abusing his wife for no reason and when he arrived to pick me up, he asked who misbehaved with me and this makeup artist in question very rudely said it was him and what is his problem. My husband got flared up because of this makeup artist's condescending behaviour and slapped him as he said no one has the right to misbehave with his wife like this.”

Robina then went on to suggest that Bryan was in the wrong for demeaning her and disregarding her career as a professional model. “Now you decide whether it was okay for the makeup artist to start misbehaving in the first place with me on such a small issue where he personally attacked me and my reputation on set for reasons only he knows better. Blowing this incident out of proportion and blaming me and my husband is very unfair."

She furthered, "It has caused us immense mental torment and torture and to everyone who is talking about it without knowing my side of the story - please let me know what you or your family would have done if it was you being abused at your workplace. If it is not ok with anyone for my husband to slap a makeup artist, how is it ok for my career as a professional model to be labelled as 'do takay ka'?

She also made a point to pinpoint her fellow models and pose them with the question of how long they would continue to tolerate misdemeanors at the hands of colleagues in the industry because modelling as a profession is still looked down upon.
“How are my fellow models okay with one of their own being labelled this way? How long are we going to allow ourselves and our profession and hard work to be demeaned this way?”

The fashion industry, however, has maintained the stance of physical violence being used in the aforementioned matter is still inexcusable.