Amir Khan, Faryal Makhdoom appear in London court over defamation case tied to harassment allegations

Former boxer, wife deny claims raised by activist Faryal Hussain, who says multiple women shared complaints with her

Former British-Pakistani boxer Amir Khan and his wife, Faryal Makhdoom, recently appeared before the High Court in London as part of an ongoing defamation case stemming from harassment allegations made against the former world champion in 2022.

The legal dispute began after women's rights activist Faryal Hussain raised concerns about Khan's alleged conduct through social media posts, a podcast interview in 2023 and an online petition. Khan and Makhdoom deny the allegations and subsequently filed a defamation lawsuit against Hussain in 2025.

According to court documents cited in the proceedings, several women have made allegations concerning Khan, including claims involving explicit messages, inappropriate relationships and, in some cases, coercion or threats.

 

 

 

 

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One individual, identified in court filings as "Woman B", alleged that Khan secretly recorded an intimate encounter in 2022 without her consent and later threatened to expose the footage. Khan denies the allegation.

Additional court filings reportedly reference allegations made by women between 2016 and 2023, including claims that they were offered money in exchange for explicit photographs and messages.

The documents further alleged that Makhdoom was aware of some of the accusations and threatened certain individuals. An alleged audio recording has reportedly been cited in support of those claims. Makhdoom denies the allegations.

Several of the women named in the filings have reportedly described experiencing emotional distress following their alleged interactions with Khan.

Hussain has said she became involved after being approached by some of the women and later launched an online petition that gathered more than 1,600 signatures.

PHOTO: faryaal_hussain1/Instagram

More recently, Hussain addressed the controversy on social media, responding to criticism directed at her and some of the women involved in the case.

In an Instagram Story, she wrote: "I cannot stand the men and women — especially the women — jumping into the recent news to lecture me about haya, modesty, Islam and infidelity."

She added: "These women were SINGLE. These are ALLEGATIONS of blackmail, threats against women, and in some accounts, serious sexual misconduct." Hussain further stated: "If I can save women, I will scream it from the rooftops."

Khan and Makhdoom maintain that all allegations against them are false, defamatory and malicious. Through their legal action, they are seeking to prevent Hussain from repeating the claims.

The case remains ongoing before the High Court, and no findings have been made regarding the allegations.