Former British boxer Amir Khan has apologised to his wife Faryal Makhdoom over the sexting scandal amid rumours of their separation.

“She’s [Faryal Makhdoom] not the one to blame. I thank her for the help she got me,” he said in a post on his Instagram stories. “I like to apologise to those who I may have hurt. I made a mistake and I was provoked when they slip into my DMs.”

His statement came after the British newspaper The Sun reported that the former boxing champ begged a model to send him “revealing pictures” in text messages. The incident apparently took place days before his 10th wedding anniversary.

In her Instagram stories, Makhdoom wrote: “Fall in love with someone who doesn’t make you think love is hard.” The message was written at the bottom end of the post with a black background.

According to British media, the couple Khan and his wife Makhdoom have separated. They are currently living apart. The former boxer departed for London from Dubai after on Friday.

“Faryal is taking time to think about whether or not to walk away. She’s going through a very difficult time and choosing to focus on her children while she and Amir continue to co-parent,” a source close to the Khan family told Daily Mail.