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{{Short description|American author, activist, model, and actress (born 1970)}}
{{Short description|American TV host and model (born 1970)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox model
{{Infobox model
|name          = Padma Lakshmi
|name          = Padma Lakshmi
|image          = Padma_Lakshmi_with_Malcolm_Smith_(cropped).jpg
|image          = Padma Lakshmi (2017) 05.jpg
|caption        = Lakshmi in 2013
|caption        = Lakshmi in 2017
|birth_name    = Padma Parvati Lakshmi
|birth_name    = Padma Parvati Lakshmi Vaidynathan
|birth_date    = {{Birth date and age|1970|9|1|mf=y}}
|birth_date    = {{Birth date and age|1970|09|01|mf=y}}
|birth_place    = [[Madras]], [[Tamil Nadu]], India
|birth_place    = [[Madras]], Tamil Nadu, India
|height        = {{height|ft=5|in=9}}
|citizenship    = United States
|haircolor      = Black
|haircolor      = Black<ref name="stuff">{{cite web |title=About Padma Lakshmi |url=https://www.indiaforums.com/person/padma-lakshmi_9550/about/ |website=indiaforums.com |publisher=India Forums |access-date=16 January 2025}}</ref>
|eyecolor      = Brown
|eyecolor      = Brown<ref name="stuff" />
|occupation    = Model, author, actress, television host
|height        = {{height|ft=5|in=9}}<ref name="stuff" />
|occupation    = {{hlist|TV host|model|author|entrepreneur|activist|producer}}
|years_active  = 1992–present
|years_active  = 1992–present
|spouse        = {{marriage|[[Salman Rushdie]]|2004|2007|end=divorced}}
|spouse        = {{marriage|[[Salman Rushdie]]|2004|2007|end=div}}
|partner        = <!--Parameter is for long term, unmarried/life partners.-->
|children      = 1
|children      = 1
|nationality    = American
|education      = [[Clark University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])
|alma_mater    = [[Clark University]]
|website        = {{URL|https://www.padmalakshmi.com/}}
}}
}}


'''Padma Parvati Lakshmi''' ({{IPA-ta|ˈpəd̪mə ˈləkɕmi}}; born September 1, 1970)<ref name=tvg>{{cite web |title= Padma Lakshmi | url= http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/padma-lakshmi/279465 | publisher=[[TV Guide]] | access-date= April 21, 2014}}</ref> is an Indian-American author, activist, actress, model, philanthropist, and television host. She hosted the cooking competition program ''[[Top Chef]]'' on [[Bravo (American TV network)|Bravo]] continuously from 2006 to 2023. For her work, she received a [[61st Primetime Emmy Awards|Primetime Emmy nomination]] for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program|Outstanding Reality Host]] in 2009 and 2020 through 2022. She is also the creator, host, and executive producer of the critically acclaimed<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Tolley |first=John |date=June 13, 2022 |title=Padma Lakshmi's Taste The Nation Just Received An Impressive Honor |url=https://www.tastingtable.com/894091/padma-lakshmis-taste-the-nation-just-received-an-impressive-honor/ |access-date=June 16, 2022 |website=Tasting Table}}</ref> [[docuseries]] ''[[Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi]]'', which premiered in June 2020 on [[Hulu]] and explores the food and culture of immigrant and indigenous communities across America. In 2022, ''Taste the Nation: Holiday Edition'' won a [[James Beard Foundation Award]] in the Visual Media - Long Form category.
'''Padma Parvati Lakshmi''' ({{IPA|ta|ˈpɐd̪maː ˈlɐkʂmi}}; [[née]] '''Vaidynathan'''; born September 1, 1970) is an American television host, model, author, entrepreneur, and activist. She rose to prominence by hosting the [[Bravo (American TV network)|Bravo]] cooking competition program ''[[Top Chef]]'' (2006–2023). Lakshmi is the creator, host, and [[executive producer]] of the docuseries ''[[Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi]]'', which premiered in 2020 on [[Hulu]]. For her work with these two series, as an executive producer and as a host, she has received 16 [[Primetime Emmy Award]] nominations.  


She has published six books: two cookbooks, ''Easy Exotic'' and ''Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet''; an encyclopedia, ''The Encyclopedia of Spices & Herbs: An Essential Guide to the Flavors of the World''; a memoir, ''Love, Loss, and What We Ate''; a children's book, ''Tomatoes for Neela'' illustrated by [[Juana Martinez-Neal]], and guest-edited ''The Best American Travel Writing 2021.''
Born in India, Lakshmi immigrated to the United States as a child. She became a model before embarking on a career on television. She has written five books: two cookbooks, ''Easy Exotic'' and ''Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet''; an encyclopedia, ''The Encyclopedia of Spices & Herbs: An Essential Guide to the Flavors of the World''; a memoir, ''Love, Loss, and What We Ate''; and a children's book, ''Tomatoes for Neela'' illustrated by [[Juana Martinez-Neal]], the latter two appearing on ''[[The New York Times]]''{{'s}} [[The New York Times Best Seller list|best-seller list]]. Lakshmi has formed and produced sales for five different businesses. She co-founded the [[Endometriosis Foundation of America]] in 2009. She was appointed [[UNDP Goodwill Ambassador|United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador]] in 2019. Lakshmi was listed among ''[[Time 100|Time]]'' magazine's [[Time 100|100 most influential people in the world]] in 2023.
 
In 2023, Padma was named to Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential List. She also appeared in Sports Illustrated magazine's Swimsuit Edition.  


==Early life and education==
==Early life and education==
Padma Parvati Lakshmi was born in [[Madras]] (now [[Chennai]]), India, into a [[Tamil Brahmin]] family.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Cox|first=Interview by Ana Marie|date=2016-03-17|title=Padma Lakshmi Won't Date Men Who Aren't Feminists|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/20/magazine/padma-lakshmi-wont-date-men-who-arent-feminists.html|access-date=2021-07-07|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name=TimeIndia>{{cite news |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2002-01-25/news-interviews/27111927_1_padma-lakshmi-lakshmi-films-india-contest |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104084341/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2002-01-25/news-interviews/27111927_1_padma-lakshmi-lakshmi-films-india-contest |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 4, 2012 |title=It's my life, says Padma Lakshmi|work= [[The Times of India]]|access-date=January 3, 2011|author=Gauri Sinh|date= January 25, 2002}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/117590/Cinema/padma-a-secret-in-rushdie-memoir.html |title=Padma a secret in Rushdie memoir|work= [[India Today]]|access-date=January 3, 2011|date= October 24, 2010|author= Neha Tara Mehta}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060430/asp/look/story_6153204.asp |title=The Telegraph – Calcutta : Look |work=[[The Telegraph (Kolkata)|The Telegraph]] |access-date=January 3, 2011 |date=April 30, 2006 |author=Amit Roy |location=Calcutta, India |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004025553/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060430/asp/look/story_6153204.asp |archive-date=October 4, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/article/286731 |title=Padma Lakshmi a global brand in the making|work=[[Toronto Star]]|access-date=January 1, 2011|date= December 22, 2007|author= Jennifer Bain}}</ref><ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/voraciously/wp/2020/06/15/with-a-new-series-of-her-own-padma-lakshmi-is-at-the-top-of-her-game/ With a new series of her own, Padma Lakshmi is at the top of her game : Washington Post]</ref> Her mother Vijaya is a retired [[oncology]] nurse. Her parents divorced when she was two years old.
Lakshmi was born Padma Parvati Lakshmi Vaidynathan on September 1, 1970,<ref name="tvg">{{cite web |title=Padma Lakshmi |url=http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/padma-lakshmi/279465 |work=[[TV Guide]] |access-date=April 21, 2014}}</ref> in the city of Madras, which has been known by [[Chennai]] since 1996, in the [[Indian state]] of [[Tamil Nadu]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/story/padma-a-secret-in-rushdie-memoir-84434-2010-10-23 |title=Padma a secret in Rushdie memoir |work=[[India Today]] |access-date=January 3, 2011 |date=October 24, 2010 |author=Neha Tara Mehta}}</ref> Her mother, Vijaya Lakshmi,<ref name="bispp">{{cite web |last1=Olito |first1=Frank |title=10 things you didn't know about 'Top Chef's' Padma Lakshmi |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/top-chef-padma-lakshmi-facts-2021-10 |website=businessinsider.com |publisher=[[Business Insider]] |access-date=16 January 2025}}</ref> is a retired [[oncology]] nurse.<ref name="Young">{{cite news |last=Young |first=Julius |title=Padma Lakshmi celebrates 50th birthday with bikini snap, reflects on 'year of misery and elation' |url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/padma-lakshmi-celebrates-50th-birthday-bikini-snap-misery-elation |access-date=January 17, 2025 |work=[[Fox News]] |date=September 2, 2020}}</ref> Vijaya and Lakshmi's father separated in 1971 and divorced the next year, after which the former immigrated to the United States alone. Lakshmi lived with her maternal grandparents before joining Vijaya two years later. Lakshmi lived in the [[New York City borough]] of [[Queens]]<ref>{{cite episode |last=Lakshmi |first=Padma (host) |date=June 18, 2020 |title=Don't mind if I Dosa |series=[[Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi]] |season=1 |number=3 |network=[[Hulu]]}}</ref><ref name="Fresh Air">{{cite interview |interviewer-last=Gross |interviewer-first=Terry |interviewer-link=Terry Gross |title=Padma Lakshmi, Model, Actor And TV Host, Says Above All, She's A Writer |url=https://www.freshair.com/segments/padma-lakshmi-model-actor-and-tv-host-says-above-all-shes-writer |website=[[Fresh Air]] |access-date=April 29, 2025 |date=July 6, 2020}}</ref> before moving to [[La Puente, California|La Puente]], a city in [[Los Angeles County, California]], with her stepfather, Anand Prasad – a [[Indo-Fijians|Fijian-born ethnic Indian]]<ref>{{cite news |last=Wrightson |first=Erica Zora |title=How Padma Lakshmi's stepdad became the curry leaf king of California |url=https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2023-01-05/padma-lakshmi-stepdad-grows-curry-leaves-at-los-angeles-county-farm |access-date=October 10, 2025 |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=January 5, 2023}}</ref> – and Vijaya.<ref name=":3">{{Cite podcast |url=https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/padma-lakshmi/id1501446978?i=1000478144681 |title=Padma Lakshmi |work=Los Angeles Times |last=Yamato |first=Jen |last2=Shyong |first2=Frank}}</ref> Lakshmi has stated that, as a teenager, she was [[anti-Indian sentiment|bullied due to her Indian heritage]], which caused her to struggle to overcome "internalized [[self-loathing]]."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hauser |first=Christine |date=March 9, 2016 |title=Padma Lakshmi Opens Up About Rushdie in Memoir |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/10/arts/padma-lakshmi-opens-up-about-rushdie-in-memoir.html |access-date=April 29, 2016 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
 
Lakshmi emigrated to the United States at age four and was raised in New York City before moving to [[La Puente, California]] with her mother and stepfather.<ref name=":3">{{Cite podcast|url=https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/padma-lakshmi/id1501446978?i=1000478144681|title=Padma Lakshmi|website=Asian Enough|publisher=The Los Angeles Times|last=Yamato|first=Jen|last2=Shyong|first2=Frank}}</ref> As a teenager growing up in Los Angeles, she stated that she was bullied and endured racism and [[anti-Indian |anti-Indian sentiment]], which caused her to struggle to overcome "internalized self-loathing."<ref>{{Cite news|last=Hauser|first=Christine|date=March 9, 2016|title=Padma Lakshmi Opens Up About Rushdie in Memoir|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/10/arts/padma-lakshmi-opens-up-about-rushdie-in-memoir.html|access-date=April 29, 2016|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
 
In 1984, when Lakshmi was 14 years old, she was hospitalized for three weeks and eventually diagnosed with [[Stevens–Johnson syndrome]], a rare illness caused by hypersensitivity to an infection or a potentially fatal reaction to certain kinds of medications.<ref name=":4" />


Two days after her discharge from the hospital, she was injured in a car accident in [[Malibu, California]], which left her with a fractured right hip and a shattered right upper arm.<ref>{{cite magazine|date=2007|title=Letter From New York|magazine=Vanity Fair|volume=Issues 566–568}}</ref> The arm injury required surgery, from which she retained a seven-inch scar between her elbow and shoulder.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|last=Cartner-Morley|first=Jess|date=April 8, 2006|title=The unlikely wife of Salman Rushdie Padma Lakshmi talks to Jess Cartner-Morley|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2006/apr/08/fashion.salmanrushdie|access-date=June 17, 2020|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
At the age of 14, Lakshmi was hospitalized for three weeks and eventually diagnosed with [[Stevens–Johnson syndrome]], a rare illness caused by hypersensitivity to an infection or a potentially fatal reaction to certain kinds of medications. Two days after her discharge from the hospital, she was injured in a car accident in the city of [[Malibu, California|Malibu]], which left her with a fractured right hip and a shattered right upper arm.<ref>{{cite magazine |year=2007 |title=Letter From New York |magazine=Vanity Fair |issue=s 566–568}}</ref> The arm injury required surgery, from which she retained a seven-inch scar between her elbow and shoulder.<ref name="Fresh Air" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite news |last=Cartner-Morley |first=Jess |date=April 8, 2006 |title=The unlikely wife of Salman Rushdie Padma Lakshmi talks to Jess Cartner-Morley |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2006/apr/08/fashion.salmanrushdie |access-date=June 17, 2020 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>


Lakshmi graduated from [[William Workman High School]] in [[City of Industry, California]],<ref name=":3" /> in 1988.<ref>"Padma Lakshmi." In ''Newsmakers''. Vol. 2. Detroit, MI: Gale, 2012. ''Gale In Context: Biography'' (accessed July 17, 2020).</ref>
Lakshmi graduated from [[William Workman High School]] in the [[City of Industry]] in 1988.<ref name=":3" /><ref>"Padma Lakshmi." In ''Newsmakers''. Vol. 2. Detroit, MI: Gale, 2012. ''Gale In Context: Biography'' (accessed July 17, 2020).</ref> In 1992, she graduated from [[Clark University]], earning a [[bachelor's degree]] in Theatre Arts and American Literature.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Salerno |first1=Jane |title=Padma Power |url=https://clarknow.clarku.edu/2012/08/15/padma-power/ |website=clarknow.clarku.edu |date=August 16, 2012 |publisher=[[Clark University]] |access-date=16 January 2025}}</ref><ref name=endo>{{cite web |title=Padma Lakshmi Actor, Writer, Producer, EndoFound Founder |url=https://www.endofound.org/-/padma-lakshmi |website=endofound.org |publisher=[[Endometriosis Foundation of America]] |access-date=16 January 2025}}</ref>


In a 2018 essay for ''[[The New York Times]]'', Lakshmi revealed that she was raped by her older boyfriend when she was 16, which she did not report. She stated that her decision to keep silent about the rape resulted from her stepfather's relative assaulting her when she was seven years old. After she told her mother and stepfather about his assault, they sent her to live with her grandparents for a year. She wrote, "The lesson was: If you speak up, you will be cast out." She said, "I am speaking now because I want us all to fight so that our daughters never know this fear and shame and our sons know that girls' bodies do not exist for their pleasure and that abuse has grave consequences."<ref name="NYT20180925">{{cite news|author=Padma Lakshmi|date=September 25, 2018|title=I was raped at 16 and I kept silent.|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/25/opinion/padma-lakshmi-sexual-assault-rape.html|access-date=September 25, 2018}}</ref>
In a 2018 essay for ''[[The New York Times]]'', Lakshmi revealed that, at the age of 16, she was raped by her then boyfriend, which she did not report; Lakshmi stated that she made the decision because, at the age of seven, she was molested by her step-uncle, and Vijaya and Anand sent her back to India for a year after she told them about the molestation;<ref name="Fresh Air" /> Lakshmi wrote, "The lesson was: If you speak up, you will be cast out. [...] I am speaking now because I want us all to fight so that our daughters never know this fear and shame and our sons know that girls' bodies do not exist for their pleasure and that abuse has grave consequences."<ref name="NYT20180925">{{cite news |author=Padma Lakshmi |date=September 25, 2018 |title=I was raped at 16 and I kept silent. |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/25/opinion/padma-lakshmi-sexual-assault-rape.html |access-date=September 25, 2018}}</ref> When she became a [[naturalized US citizen]], Lakshmi officially changed her name to simply Padma Parvati Lakshmi to honor Vijaya.<ref name="bispp" /><ref>{{cite tweet |user=PadmaLakshmi |number=796031308745113600 |title=Brown, proud and voting loud!!!! Immigrants make this country great. Vote no for bigotry and yes to love vs hate! |access-date=January 17, 2025}}</ref>


==Career==
==Career==
===Modeling===
===Modeling===
In effect, Lakshmi began her modeling career at age 21, when a modeling agent discovered Lakshmi while she was studying in Madrid.<ref name=":4" /> She has said, "I was the first Indian model to have a career in Paris, Milan, and New York. I'm the first one to admit that I was a novelty."<ref name=autogenerated1>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060516160152/http://www.lakshmifilms.com/padma_lakshmi_press43.htm Padma Lakshmi  — ''Evening Standard Magazine''] LakshmiFilms.com</ref> Lakshmi was able to pay off her college loans by working as a model and actress.
Lakshmi began her modeling career at age 21, when a modeling agent discovered Lakshmi while she was studying in Madrid.<ref name=":4" /> She has said, "I was the first Indian model to have a career in Paris, Milan, and New York. I'm the first one to admit that I was a novelty."<ref name=autogenerated1>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060516160152/http://www.lakshmifilms.com/padma_lakshmi_press43.htm Padma Lakshmi  — ''Evening Standard Magazine''] LakshmiFilms.com</ref> Lakshmi was able to pay off her college loans by working as a model and actress.{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Padma Lakshmi, Model, Actor And TV Host, Says Above All, She's A Writer |work=NPR |date=September 4, 2020 |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/09/04/909583983/padma-lakshmi-model-actor-and-tv-host-says-above-all-shes-a-writer |access-date=August 20, 2024 |last1=Gross |first1=Terry }}</ref>


She has modeled for designers including [[Emanuel Ungaro]], [[Giorgio Armani]], [[Gianni Versace]], [[Ralph Lauren]], and [[Alberta Ferretti]] and appeared in ad campaigns for [[Roberto Cavalli]] and [[Versace|Versus]].<ref>[http://www.bravotv.com/Top_Chef_2/bios/padma_lakshmi.shtml Padma Lakshmi Bio] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061110004030/http://www.bravotv.com/Top_Chef_2/bios/padma_lakshmi.shtml |date=November 10, 2006 }} Bravotv.com</ref> She was a favorite model of the photographer [[Helmut Newton]], whose photographs of her often highlighted the large scar on her right arm.<ref>{{cite web|last=D'Souza Wolfe|first=Nandini|title=At Home with Padma|url=http://nypress.com/at-home-with-padma/|publisher=New York Press|access-date=February 9, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Clark |first=Molly |date=2021-12-29 |title=The Unexpected Way Padma Lakshmi Got Into Modeling |url=https://www.mashed.com/719383/the-unexpected-way-padma-lakshmi-got-into-modeling/ |access-date=2022-06-16 |website=Mashed.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
[[File:Padma Lakshmi by David Shankbone.jpg|thumb|Lakshmi in 2008]]
[[File:Padma Lakshmi by David Shankbone.jpg|thumb|Lakshmi in 2008]]


Lakshmi has appeared on the covers of ''[[Redbook]]'', ''Vogue'' India,'' [[FHM]]'', ''[[Cosmopolitan (magazine)|Cosmopolitan]]'', ''L'Officiel India'', ''Asian Woman'', ''[[Elle (magazine)|Elle]],'' ''Avenue'', ''Industry Magazine'', ''[[Marie Claire]] (India Edition)'', ''[[Harper's Bazaar]]'', ''[[Town & Country (magazine)|Town & Country]]'', and ''[[Newsweek]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lakshmifilms.com/padma_lakshmi_press.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041128023511/http://www.lakshmifilms.com/padma_lakshmi_press.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 28, 2004 |title=Press for Padma Lakshmi |publisher=Lakshmifilms.com |access-date=April 4, 2010 }}</ref> She also posed nude for the May 2009 issue of ''[[Allure (magazine)|Allure]]''.<ref>{{cite news | last =Lysaght | first = Stephanie | title =Padma Lakshmi of 'Top Chef' and Chelsea Handler of E! get naked | work =Los Angeles Times | date =April 13, 2009 | url =http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedishrag/2009/04/padma-lakshmi-and-chelsea-handler-bare-all-for-allure.html | access-date =April 14, 2009}}</ref>
She has modeled for designers including [[Emanuel Ungaro]], [[Giorgio Armani]], [[Gianni Versace]], [[Ralph Lauren]], and [[Alberta Ferretti]] and appeared in ad campaigns for [[Roberto Cavalli]] and [[Versace|Versus]].<ref>[http://www.bravotv.com/Top_Chef_2/bios/padma_lakshmi.shtml Padma Lakshmi Bio] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061110004030/http://www.bravotv.com/Top_Chef_2/bios/padma_lakshmi.shtml |date=November 10, 2006 }} Bravotv.com</ref> She was a favorite model of the photographer [[Helmut Newton]], whose photographs of her often highlighted the large scar on her right arm.<ref>{{cite web |last=D'Souza Wolfe |first=Nandini |title=At Home with Padma |url=http://nypress.com/at-home-with-padma/ |publisher=New York Press |access-date=February 9, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Clark |first=Molly |date=December 29, 2021 |title=The Unexpected Way Padma Lakshmi Got Into Modeling |url=https://www.mashed.com/719383/the-unexpected-way-padma-lakshmi-got-into-modeling/ |access-date=June 16, 2022 |website=Mashed.com |language=en-US}}</ref> Lakshmi has appeared on the covers of ''[[Redbook]]'', ''Vogue'' India,'' [[FHM]]'', ''[[Cosmopolitan (magazine)|Cosmopolitan]]'', ''L'Officiel India'', ''Asian Woman'', ''[[Elle (magazine)|Elle]],'' ''Avenue'', ''Industry Magazine'', ''[[Marie Claire]] (India Edition)'', ''[[Harper's Bazaar]]'', ''[[Town & Country (magazine)|Town & Country]]'', and ''[[Newsweek]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lakshmifilms.com/padma_lakshmi_press.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041128023511/http://www.lakshmifilms.com/padma_lakshmi_press.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 28, 2004 |title=Press for Padma Lakshmi |publisher=Lakshmifilms.com |access-date=April 4, 2010}}</ref> She also posed nude for the May 2009 issue of ''[[Allure (magazine)|Allure]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lysaght |first=Stephanie |title=Padma Lakshmi of 'Top Chef' and Chelsea Handler of E! get naked |work=Los Angeles Times |date=April 13, 2009 |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedishrag/2009/04/padma-lakshmi-and-chelsea-handler-bare-all-for-allure.html |access-date=April 14, 2009}}</ref> She has done shoots for photographers [[Mario Testino]] and Helmut Newton.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5">{{cite web |author=Unny |first=Divya |date=July 5, 2007 |title=Padma Lakshmi..the woman who broke Rushdie's heart |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-padma-lakshmithe-woman-who-broke-rushdie-s-heart-1108450 |access-date=January 1, 2011 |website=Daily News and Analysis}}</ref> In 2023, at age 53, she appeared in the [[Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue]].<ref name=bupro/>
 
She has done shoots for photographers [[Mario Testino]] and [[Helmut Newton]].<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5">{{cite web|author=Unny|first=Divya|date=July 5, 2007|title=Padma Lakshmi..the woman who broke Rushdie's heart|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-padma-lakshmithe-woman-who-broke-rushdie-s-heart-1108450|access-date=January 1, 2011|website=DNAIndia}}</ref>


=== Film, television, and hosting ===
=== Film, television, and hosting ===
Lakshmi served as a host of ''[[Domenica In]],'' an Italian program, in 1997.<ref name="NYTVows">{{cite news |author=Stephen Henderson |date=April 25, 2004 |title=Weddings/Celebrations – Vows – Padma Lakshmi and Salman Rushdie |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E03E5D9153AF936A15757C0A9629C8B63 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528051221/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/25/style/weddings-celebrations-vows-padma-lakshmi-and-salman-rushdie.html |archive-date=May 28, 2015 |access-date=January 1, 2011 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> She hosted the [[Food Network]] series ''Padma's Passport'',<ref name=":5" /> which was part of the larger series ''Melting Pot'' in 2001, where she cooked recipes from around the world. She also hosted two one-hour specials in [[South India]] and Spain for the British [[culinary tourism]] show ''Planet Food'', broadcast on the Food Network in the U.S. and internationally on the [[Discovery Channel]]s.<ref>{{cite web |title=Food – TV and radio |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/tv_and_radio/planetfood_index.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061117064602/http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/tv_and_radio/planetfood_index.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 17, 2006 |access-date=April 4, 2010 |publisher=BBC}}</ref> Lakshmi was also an official contributor for season 19 of ''[[The View (U.S. TV series)|The View]]'' from 2015 to 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 8, 2015 |title=Season 19 of 'The View' kicks off with new cast, old favorite |url=https://abc7news.com/956426/ |website=ABC7 San Francisco}}</ref>


Lakshmi is the current host and one of the judges on the television show ''[[Top Chef]].'' The show has been nominated for a [[Primetime Emmy Award]] for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Competition Program|Outstanding Reality-Competition Program]] from [[Top Chef (season 2)|season 2]] through [[Top Chef (season 19)|season 19]], with [[Top Chef (season 6)|season 6]] winning the award in [[62nd Primetime Emmy Awards|2010]].
Lakshmi was a host and judge on the television show ''[[Top Chef]].'' She also serves as an executive producer of the show. Lakshmi was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program|Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program]] in [[61st Primetime Emmy Awards|2009]] and in [[72nd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards|2020]] through [[74th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards|2022]] for ''Top Chef''. In 2020, Lakshmi won three [[Critic's Choice Award]]s for ''Top Chef''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 13, 2022 |first=Antonia |last=DeBianchi |title=Padma Lakshmi Won 3 Critics Choice Real TV Awards — and Brought Her Mom to the Show |url=https://people.com/food/padma-lakshmi-won-3-critics-choice-real-tv-awards-and-brought-her-mom-to-the-show/ |access-date=June 16, 2022 |website=People |language=en}}</ref> In 2023 she departed from the show following the [[Top Chef: World All-Stars|twentieth season]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2023/06/top-chef-world-all-stars-names-season-20-winner-bids-fond-farewell-to-padma-lakshmi-1235412637/ |title=''Top Chef'' World All-Stars Names Season 20 Winner, Bids Fond Farewell To Padma Lakshmi |first=Bruce |last=Haring |date=June 8, 2023 |access-date=June 9, 2023}}</ref>


She also serves as an executive producer of the show. Lakshmi was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program|Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program]] in [[61st Primetime Emmy Awards|2009]] and in [[2020 Emmy Awards|2020]] through 2022 for ''Top Chef''. In 2020, Lakshmi won three Critic's Choice Awards for ''Top Chef''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 13, 2022 |first=Antonia |last=DeBianchi |title=Padma Lakshmi Won 3 Critics Choice Real TV Awards — and Brought Her Mom to the Show |url=https://people.com/food/padma-lakshmi-won-3-critics-choice-real-tv-awards-and-brought-her-mom-to-the-show/ |access-date=2022-06-16 |website=PEOPLE.com |language=en}}</ref> In 2023 she departed from the show following the [[Top Chef: World All-Stars|twentieth season]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2023/06/top-chef-world-all-stars-names-season-20-winner-bids-fond-farewell-to-padma-lakshmi-1235412637/|title=''Top Chef'' World All-Stars Names Season 20 Winner, Bids Fond Farewell To Padma Lakshmi|first=Bruce|last=Haring|date=June 8, 2023|access-date=June 9, 2023}}</ref>
Lakshmi is also the creator, host, and executive producer of ''[[Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi]],'' which premiered on [[Hulu]] on June 18, 2020,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Taste the Nation |url=https://press.hulu.com/shows/taste-the-nation |access-date=January 18, 2021 |website=Hulu Press |language=en}}</ref> and received the [[Gotham Awards|Gotham Award]] for Breakthrough Series<ref>{{Cite web |last=Davis |first=Clayton |date=January 12, 2021 |title='Nomadland' Wins Best Feature at Gotham Awards, Riz Ahmed and Nicole Beharie Upset in Acting Categories |url=https://variety.com/2021/film/awards/gotham-awards-2020-winners-1234882987/ |access-date=February 10, 2022 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> and Critic's Choice Awards for Best Culinary Show in 2021 and 2022.<ref name=endo/><ref>{{cite AV media |date=June 21, 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XyGpj5qdfc |title=BEST CULINARY SHOW - 3rd Annual Critics Choice REAL TV Awards |publisher=Critics Choice |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=May 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230318071100/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XyGpj5qdfc |archive-date=March 18, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''Taste the Nation'' received 100% on [[Rotten Tomatoes]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Taste the Nation With Padma Lakshmi |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/taste_the_nation_with_padma_lakshmi |website=Rotten Tomatoes |language=en |access-date=February 10, 2022}}</ref> In 2021, Hulu released a 4-episode special, ''Taste the Nation: Holiday Edition.'' In June 2022, Lakshmi received her first [[James Beard Foundation Award: 2020s|James Beard Foundation Award]] for ''Taste the Nation: Holiday Edition''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Tolley |first=John |date=June 13, 2022 |title=Padma Lakshmi's Taste The Nation Just Received An Impressive Honor |url=https://www.tastingtable.com/894091/padma-lakshmis-taste-the-nation-just-received-an-impressive-honor/ |access-date=June 16, 2022 |website=Tasting Table}}</ref>


Lakshmi is also the creator, host, and executive producer of ''[[Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi]],'' which premiered on [[Hulu]] on June 18, 2020,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Taste the Nation|url=https://press.hulu.com/shows/taste-the-nation|access-date=2021-01-18|website=Hulu Press|language=en}}</ref> and received the [[Gotham Awards|Gotham Award]] for Breakthrough Series<ref>{{Cite web|last=Davis|first=Clayton|date=2021-01-12|title='Nomadland' Wins Best Feature at Gotham Awards, Riz Ahmed and Nicole Beharie Upset in Acting Categories|url=https://variety.com/2021/film/awards/gotham-awards-2020-winners-1234882987/|access-date=2022-02-10|website=Variety|language=en-US}}</ref> and a [[Critic's Choice Award]] for Best Culinary Show.<ref>{{cite AV media |date=June 21, 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XyGpj5qdfc |title=BEST CULINARY SHOW - 3rd Annual Critics Choice REAL TV Awards |publisher=Critics Choice |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=May 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230318071100/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XyGpj5qdfc |archive-date=March 18, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''Taste the Nation'' received 100% on [[Rotten Tomatoes]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Taste the Nation With Padma Lakshmi|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/taste_the_nation_with_padma_lakshmi|website=Rotten Tomatoes|language=en|access-date=2022-02-10}}</ref> In 2021, Hulu released a 4-episode special, ''Taste the Nation: Holiday Edition.'' In ''Taste the Nation,'' Lakshmi  expands and redefines the meaning of American food collectively.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Rao|first=Tejal|date=2020-06-18|title=Padma Lakshmi Finds a New Voice, Amplifying the Voices of Others|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/18/dining/padma-lakshmi-taste-the-nation.html|access-date=2020-06-19|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In June 2022, Lakshmi received her first [[James Beard Foundation Award: 2020s|James Beard Foundation Award]] for ''Taste the Nation: Holiday Edition''.<ref name=":0" />
Her first film roles were in the Italian pirate movies ''[[The Son of Sandokan]]'' and ''{{ill|Caraibi|it|Caraibi (miniserie televisiva)}}'' (''Pirates: Blood Brothers''). She had a comical supporting part as the lip-synching disco singer Sylk in the 2001 American movie ''[[Glitter (film)|Glitter]],'' starring [[Mariah Carey]]. In 2002, Lakshmi made an appearance as alien princess Kaitaama in "[[Precious Cargo (Star Trek: Enterprise)|Precious Cargo]]," of the TV series ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]]''. She portrayed Madhuvanthi in the TV movie ''[[Sharpe's Challenge]]'' (aired 2006).<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=March 2004 |title=Escape Views |url=http://www.lakshmifilms.com/padma_lakshmi_press16.htm |magazine=Harpers & Queen |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041128061716/http://www.lakshmifilms.com/padma_lakshmi_press16.htm |archive-date=November 28, 2004}}</ref> In 2006, she appeared in ABC's Biblical TV series ''[[The Ten Commandments (TV series)|The Ten Commandments]]'' as Princess Bithia. In 2009, Lakshmi appeared in the video for the [[Eels (band)|Eels]] song "That Look You Give That Guy."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.spinnermusic.co.uk/2009/09/01/eels-that-look-you-give-that-guy-video-premiere/ |title=Eels, 'That Look You Give That Guy' – Video Premiere – Spinner UK |date=September 1, 2009 |publisher=Spinnermusic.co.uk |access-date=April 4, 2010 |archive-date=March 2, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100302130328/http://www.spinnermusic.co.uk/2009/09/01/eels-that-look-you-give-that-guy-video-premiere |url-status=dead}}</ref>


Previously, Lakshmi served as a host of ''[[Domenica In]]'', Italy's top-rated television show, in 1997.<ref name="NYTVows">{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E03E5D9153AF936A15757C0A9629C8B63|title=Weddings/Celebrations – Vows – Padma Lakshmi and Salman Rushdie|author=Stephen Henderson|date=April 25, 2004|work=[[New York Times]]|access-date=January 1, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528051221/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/25/style/weddings-celebrations-vows-padma-lakshmi-and-salman-rushdie.html|archive-date=May 28, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> She hosted the [[Food Network]] series ''Padma's Passport'',<ref name=":5" /> which was part of the larger series ''Melting Pot'' in 2001, where she cooked recipes from around the world. She also hosted two one-hour specials in [[South India]] and [[Spain]] for the British [[culinary tourism]] show ''Planet Food'', broadcast on the Food Network in the U.S. and internationally on the [[Discovery Channel]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/tv_and_radio/planetfood_index.shtml|title=Food – TV and radio|publisher=BBC|access-date=April 4, 2010}}</ref>
She starred in the 2003 [[Bollywood|Bollywood film]] ''[[Boom (2003 film)|Boom]]'', alongside [[Katrina Kaif]] and [[Madhu Sapre]], as one of three supermodels accused of stealing diamonds. She played the role of Geeta in [[Paul Mayeda Berges]]'s 2005 film ''[[The Mistress of Spices (film)|The Mistress of Spices]]''. Lakshmi also made a guest appearance on the NBC series ''[[30 Rock]]'' in 2009 and appeared on ''[[Whose Line Is It Anyway? (U.S. TV series)|Whose Line Is It Anyway?]]'' in 2014.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}}
 
Lakshmi was also an official contributor for season 19 of ''[[The View (U.S. TV series)|The View]]'' from 2015 to 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://abc7news.com/956426/|title=Season 19 of 'The View' kicks off with new cast, old favorite|date=September 8, 2015|website=ABC7 San Francisco}}</ref> For celebrity contestant, she competed and won against music producer [[Randy Jackson]] in an episode of [[TBS (U.S. TV channel)|TBS]]'s ''[[Drop the Mic]]'' that aired on December 26, 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/padma-lakshmi-randy-jackson-drop-the-mic-video|title=Padma Lakshmi Faced off with Randy Jackson and It Got Really Savage|last=Vena|first=Jocelyn|date=December 27, 2017|website=Bravo}}</ref> She has appeared on ''See Us Coming Together, "''a special that celebrates the rich diversity of Asian and Pacific Islander communities as part of Sesame Workshop's ongoing racial justice initiative."<ref>{{Cite web|title=See Us Coming Together: A Sesame Street Special {{!}} Sesame Workshop|url=https://www.sesameworkshop.org/what-we-do/racial-justice/see-us-coming-together|access-date=2022-02-10|website=www.sesameworkshop.org|language=en-EN}}</ref>
 
Her first film roles were in the Italian pirate movies ''[[The Son of Sandokan]]'' and ''Caraibi (Pirates: Blood Brothers)''. She had a comical supporting part as the lip-synching disco singer Sylk in the 2001 American movie ''[[Glitter (film)|Glitter]],'' starring [[Mariah Carey]]. In 2002, Lakshmi made a guest appearance as alien princess Kaitaama in "[[Precious Cargo (Star Trek: Enterprise)|Precious Cargo]]," the 37th episode of the science fiction TV series ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]]''. She portrayed Madhuvanthi in the TV movie ''[[Sharpe's Challenge]]'' (aired 2006).<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=March 2004|title=Escape Views|url=http://www.lakshmifilms.com/padma_lakshmi_press16.htm|magazine=Harpers & Queen|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041128061716/http://www.lakshmifilms.com/padma_lakshmi_press16.htm|archive-date=November 28, 2004}}</ref> In 2006, she appeared in ABC's Biblical TV series ''[[The Ten Commandments (TV series)|The Ten Commandments]]'' as Princess Bithia. In 2009, Lakshmi starred in the video for the [[Eels (band)|Eels]] song "That Look You Give That Guy."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spinnermusic.co.uk/2009/09/01/eels-that-look-you-give-that-guy-video-premiere/|title=Eels, 'That Look You Give That Guy' – Video Premiere – Spinner UK|date=September 1, 2009|publisher=Spinnermusic.co.uk|access-date=April 4, 2010}}</ref>
 
She starred in the 2003 [[Bollywood|Bollywood film]] ''[[Boom (2003 film)|Boom]]'', alongside [[Katrina Kaif]] and [[Madhu Sapre]], as one of three supermodels accused of stealing diamonds. She played the role of Geeta in [[Paul Mayeda Berges]]'s 2005 film ''[[The Mistress of Spices (film)|The Mistress of Spices]]''. Lakshmi also made a guest appearance on the NBC series ''[[30 Rock]]'' in 2009 and appeared on ''[[Whose Line Is It Anyway? (U.S. TV series)|Whose Line Is It Anyway?]]'' in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Padma Lakshmi |url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0482290/ |access-date=2022-06-16 |website=IMDb}}</ref>


===Books and writing===
===Books and writing===
Lakshmi's first cookbook, ''Easy Exotic'', a compilation of international recipes and short essays released in 1999, was awarded the Best First Book at the 1999 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in [[Versailles (city)|Versailles]]. Her second cookbook, ''Tangy, Tart, Hot and Sweet'', was released on October 2, 2007,<ref>''Amazon.com'' [https://www.amazon.com/Tangy-Tart-Hot-Sweet-Recipes/dp/1602860068 Tangy Tart Hot and Sweet: A World of Recipes for Every Day (Hardcover)]</ref> and was reissued in March 2021<ref>{{Cite web|title=Top Chef's Padma Lakshmi Serves It Up Tangy, Tart, Hot, and Sweet|url=https://cherrybombe.com/radio-cherry-bombe/padmalakshmi-tangytart|access-date=2022-02-11|website=Cherry Bombe|date=March 22, 2021 |language=en-US}}</ref> and was named one of Apple's Best Books of 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Apple's Best Books of 2021|url=https://books.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewFeature?id=1592391573&mt=11&ls=1&campaign_id=AB_ORS_PART&ign-itsct=books_collection_bestof2021&ign-itscg=80048|website=Apple Books}}</ref> Her first memoir, ''Love, Loss and What We Ate'', was released on International's Women's Day, March 8, 2016. Lakshmi's third book, an encyclopedia and reference guide, ''The Encyclopedia of Spices and Herbs,'' on October 4, 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Encyclopedia of Spices and Herbs|url=https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-encyclopedia-of-spices-and-herbs-padma-lakshmi|access-date=2022-02-06|website=HarperCollins|language=en}}</ref> Her first children's book ''Tomatoes for Neela,'' released on August 31, 2021 and illustrated by [[Juana Martinez-Neal]], debuted fourth on [[The New York Times Best Seller list|The New York Times best-seller list]].
[[File:Padma Lakshmi (2017) 03.jpg|thumb|left|Padma Lakshmi unveiling her book ''Love, Loss, and What We Ate: A Memoir'', in 2017]]
Lakshmi's first cookbook, ''Easy Exotic'', a compilation of international recipes and short essays released in 1999, was awarded the Best First Book at the 1999 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in [[Versailles (city)|Versailles]]. Her second cookbook, ''Tangy, Tart, Hot and Sweet'', was released on October 2, 2007,<ref>''Amazon.com'' [https://www.amazon.com/Tangy-Tart-Hot-Sweet-Recipes/dp/1602860068 Tangy Tart Hot and Sweet: A World of Recipes for Every Day (Hardcover)]</ref> and was reissued in March 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Top Chef's Padma Lakshmi Serves It Up Tangy, Tart, Hot, and Sweet |url=https://cherrybombe.com/radio-cherry-bombe/padmalakshmi-tangytart |access-date=February 11, 2022 |website=Cherry Bombe |date=March 22, 2021 |language=en-US |archive-date=February 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220211150124/https://cherrybombe.com/radio-cherry-bombe/padmalakshmi-tangytart |url-status=dead }}</ref> Her first memoir, ''Love, Loss and What We Ate'', was released on International's Women's Day, March 8, 2016, and was a [[The New York Times Best Seller list|''The New York Times'' best-seller]].<ref name=bupro/> Also in 2016, Lakshmi's third culinary book, an encyclopedia and reference guide, ''The Encyclopedia of Spices and Herbs: An Essential Guide to the Flavors of the World,'' was released on October 4.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Encyclopedia of Spices and Herbs |url=https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-encyclopedia-of-spices-and-herbs-padma-lakshmi |access-date=February 6, 2022 |website=HarperCollins |language=en}}</ref> Her first children's book ''Tomatoes for Neela,'' released on August 31, 2021, and illustrated by [[Juana Martinez-Neal]], debuted fourth on ''The New York Times'' best-seller list.


*''Easy Exotic: A Model's Low Fat Recipes From Around the World'' (1999)
*''Easy Exotic: A Model's Low Fat Recipes From Around the World'' (1999, Hyperion Books)
* ''Tangy, Tart, Hot and Sweet: A World of Recipes for Every Day'' (2007)
* ''Tangy, Tart, Hot and Sweet: A World of Recipes for Every Day'' (2007, Hachette Book Group)
* ''Love, Loss, and What We Ate: A Memoir'' (2016)
* ''Love, Loss, and What We Ate: A Memoir'' (2016, Ecco)
* ''The Encyclopedia of Spices and Herbs: An Essential Guide to the Flavors of the World'' (2016)
* ''The Encyclopedia of Spices and Herbs: An Essential Guide to the Flavors of the World'' (2016, HarperCollins)
* ''Tomatoes for Neela'' (2021)
* ''Tomatoes for Neela'' (2021, Viking Children's Books)
* ''Padma's All American'' (2025, Knopf)


Lakshmi also guest edited ''The Best American Travel Writing 2021,'' a collection of essays from renowned travel writers.
Lakshmi also guest edited ''The Best American Travel Writing 2021,'' a collection of essays from renowned travel writers. Lakshmi wrote a syndicated column in ''[[The New York Times]]''<ref>{{cite news |title=Padma Lakshmi's column |url=https://www.nytimes.com/topic/person/padma-lakshmi |work=The New York Times}}</ref> and has written articles on style for the American edition of ''[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]]'', at editor [[Anna Wintour]]'s request. She also wrote a column on style for ''[[Harper's Bazaar]]'' (UK and US editions)'','' following a commission from editor [[Glenda Bailey]].


Lakshmi wrote a syndicated column in ''[[The New York Times]]''<ref>{{cite news|title=Padma Lakshmi's column|url=https://www.nytimes.com/topic/person/padma-lakshmi|work=New York Times}}</ref> and has written articles on style for the American edition of ''[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]]'', at editor [[Anna Wintour]]'s request. She also wrote a column on style for ''[[Harper's Bazaar]]'' (UK and US editions)'','' following a commission from editor [[Glenda Bailey]].
===Business endeavors===
Lakshmi created "The Padma Collection" of fine jewelry that was sold at [[Bergdorf Goodman]], [[Neiman Marcus]], and [[Nordstrom]]. Under the same trade name, she designed a home décor line that was sold at all [[Bloomingdale’s]] stores. Also, Lakshmi created "Padma’s Easy Exotic", a conglomeration of gastronomic items that included home goods, teas, organic foods, and spice blends, and worked with [[MAC Cosmetics]] to create a collection of a small, curated, selections of makeup products for worldwide distribution named "MAC Padma" that soon initially sold out in the United States and India.<ref name=endo/> She launched a lingerie collaboration with [[Bare Necessities (company)|Bare Necessities]] in June 2024 called "Padma X Bare Necessities".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hudgins |first=Ryan |date=May 30, 2024 |title=Padma Lakshmi Says She's at Her 'Sexual Peak' at 53 |url=https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/padma-lakshmi-says-shes-at-her-sexual-peak-at-53/ |access-date=June 3, 2024 |website=Us Weekly |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Lockwood |first1=Lisa |title=Exclusive: Padma Lakshmi and Bare Necessities Cook Up Lingerie and Swimwear Collection |url=https://wwd.com/fashion-news/intimates/padma-lakshmi-bare-necessities-lingerie-swimwear-1236402195/ |website=wwd.com |date=May 29, 2024 |publisher=[[Women's Wear Daily]] |access-date=16 January 2025}}</ref>


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
In April 2004, after living together for five years, Lakshmi married novelist [[Salman Rushdie]]. Rushdie stated that Lakshmi had asked for a divorce in January 2007,<ref>{{cite news|last=Anthony|first=Andrew|title=The Bookers' favourite|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/apr/06/classics.salmanrushdie|newspaper=The Guardian|date=April 6, 2008|access-date=September 4, 2022|quote=By this he means the end of his marriage. In January of 2007, Lakshmi asked for a divorce.}}</ref> and later that year, in July, the couple filed it.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=ed1a664d-9538-487b-9f0b-9bc4b4e5330c | date= July 3, 2007 | publisher = [[E!]] | title= Rushdie, Top Chef Wife Skewer Marriage | archive-date= September 30, 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070930190150/http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=ed1a664d-9538-487b-9f0b-9bc4b4e5330c}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Atad|first=Corey|title=Padma Lakshmi Is 'Relieved' That Ex-Husband Salman Rushdie Is Recovering After Stabbing Attack|url=https://etcanada.com/news/920393/padma-lakshmi-is-relieved-that-ex-husband-salman-rushdie-is-recovering-after-stabbing-attack/|date=August 14, 2022|access-date=September 4, 2022|website=ET Canada|quote=They filed for divorce in 2007.}}</ref> She dated billionaire [[Theodore J. Forstmann]].<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=The Unwritable Memoirs of Teddy Forstmann: How the Billionaire Treated His Ghostwriters|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2013/02/memoirs-teddy-forstmann-billionaire-ghostwriters|access-date=2021-07-01|magazine=Vanity Fair|date=January 11, 2013|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|title=Teddy Forstmann Wanted Padma Lakshmi's Baby to Be Raised as His Own Daughter|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2013/01/teddy-forstmann-padma-lakshmi-baby-battle|access-date=2021-07-01|magazine=Vanity Fair|date=January 3, 2013|language=en-US}}</ref>
In April 2004, after living together for five years, Lakshmi and novelist [[Salman Rushdie]] married. Rushdie stated that Lakshmi asked for a divorce in January 2007,<ref>{{cite news |last=Anthony |first=Andrew |title=The Bookers' favourite |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/apr/06/classics.salmanrushdie |newspaper=The Guardian |date=April 6, 2008 |access-date=September 4, 2022 |quote=By this he means the end of his marriage. In January of 2007, Lakshmi asked for a divorce.}}</ref> and in July 2007, the couple filed it.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=ed1a664d-9538-487b-9f0b-9bc4b4e5330c |date=July 3, 2007 |publisher=[[E!]] |title=Rushdie, Top Chef Wife Skewer Marriage |archive-date=September 30, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930190150/http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=ed1a664d-9538-487b-9f0b-9bc4b4e5330c}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Atad |first=Corey |title=Padma Lakshmi Is 'Relieved' That Ex-Husband Salman Rushdie Is Recovering After Stabbing Attack |url=https://etcanada.com/news/920393/padma-lakshmi-is-relieved-that-ex-husband-salman-rushdie-is-recovering-after-stabbing-attack/ |date=August 14, 2022 |access-date=September 4, 2022 |website=ET Canada |quote=They filed for divorce in 2007. |archive-date=September 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220905013632/https://etcanada.com/news/920393/padma-lakshmi-is-relieved-that-ex-husband-salman-rushdie-is-recovering-after-stabbing-attack/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> She later dated billionaire [[Theodore J. Forstmann]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=The Unwritable Memoirs of Teddy Forstmann: How the Billionaire Treated His Ghostwriters |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2013/02/memoirs-teddy-forstmann-billionaire-ghostwriters |access-date=July 1, 2021 |magazine=Vanity Fair |date=January 11, 2013 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Teddy Forstmann Wanted Padma Lakshmi's Baby to Be Raised as His Own Daughter |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2013/01/teddy-forstmann-padma-lakshmi-baby-battle |access-date=July 1, 2021 |magazine=Vanity Fair |date=January 3, 2013 |language=en-US}}</ref> On February 22, 2010, Lakshmi gave birth to her daughter with businessman [[Adam Dell]].<ref>[https://people.com/parents/padma-lakshmi-welcomes-a-daughter/ Padma Lakshmi Welcomes A Daughter] Sarah Michaud, ''People'',  February 22, 2010</ref><ref>[https://people.com/food/padma-lakshmi-50-birthday-celebrates-with-partner-adam-dell/ Padma Lakshmi Is 50! Top Chef Host Feels 'Truly Blessed' as She Celebrates with Partner Adam Dell] ''People'', Claudia Harmata, September 1, 2020</ref>


On February 22, 2010, Lakshmi gave birth to her daughter with businessman [[Adam Dell]].<ref>[https://people.com/parents/padma-lakshmi-welcomes-a-daughter/ Padma Lakshmi Welcomes A Daughter] Sarah Michaud, ''People'',  February 22, 2010</ref><ref>[https://people.com/food/padma-lakshmi-50-birthday-celebrates-with-partner-adam-dell/ Padma Lakshmi Is 50! Top Chef Host Feels 'Truly Blessed' as She Celebrates with Partner Adam Dell] ''People'', Claudia Harmata, September 01, 2020</ref>
Lakshmi speaks five languages: Tamil, Hindi, English, Spanish, and Italian.<ref>{{cite web |last=Hattersley |first=Giles |date=April 2, 2006 |title=My husband? Oh, he's a writer dude |url=http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/article196237.ece |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130505071154/http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/article196237.ece |archive-date=May 5, 2013 |access-date=April 15, 2011 |work=[[Sunday Times]] }}</ref> At age 36, Lakshmi was diagnosed with [[endometriosis]],<ref>{{cite AV media |date=October 17, 2011 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gfixp0jUjKg |title=Padma Lakshmi shares her struggle with endometriosis. |work=[[Redbook Magazine]] |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=May 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230502032634/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gfixp0jUjKg |archive-date=May 2, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> which she has had since early adolescence. In 2016, Lakshmi was awarded the [[Ellis Island Medal of Honor]] from the [[Ellis Island Honors Society|National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations]] (NECO) and, in 2018, earned the Karma Award from [[Variety (magazine)|''Variety'']].<ref name=bupro>{{cite web |title=Profiles {{!}} Padma Lakshmi |url=https://www.bu.edu/hospitality/profile/padma-lakshmi/ |website=bu.edu |publisher=[[Boston University]] |access-date=16 January 2025}}</ref><ref name=endo/> In 2022, Lakshmi was honored by the [[Carnegie Corporation of New York]]'s [[Great Immigrants Award|Great Immigrant Award]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Padma Lakshmi |url=https://www.carnegie.org/awards/honoree/padma-lakshmi/ |access-date=June 12, 2024 |website=Carnegie Corporation of New York}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kumar |first=Arun |date=July 1, 2022 |title=Padma Lakshmi, Punit Renjen among Carnegie's 2022 class of Great Immigrants - The American Bazaar |url=https://www.americanbazaaronline.com/2022/07/01/padma-lakshmi-punit-renjen-among-carnegies-2022-class-of-great-immigrants-450127/,%20https://www.americanbazaaronline.com/2022/07/01/padma-lakshmi-punit-renjen-among-carnegies-2022-class-of-great-immigrants-450127/ |access-date=June 18, 2024 |language=en-US}}</ref> She was listed among ''[[Time 100|Time]]'' magazine's [[Time 100|100 most influential people in the world]] in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Padma Lakshmi 'Honoured' To Be Among World's Most Influential People On TIME 100 |url=http://www.outlookindia.com/art-entertainment/padma-lakshmi-honoured-to-be-among-world-s-most-influential-people-on-time-100-news-290857 |access-date=February 13, 2024 |website=Outlook India |date=May 31, 2023 |language=en}}</ref> In 2024, Lakshmi was a visiting scholar at the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] (MIT), and was bestowed the ICON Award from [[Boston University]]'s School of Hospitality Administration.<ref name=bupro/><ref name=endo/>
 
Lakshmi speaks five languages: Tamil, Hindi, English, Spanish and Italian.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hattersley|first=Giles|date=April 2, 2006|title=My husband? Oh, he's a writer dude|url=http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/article196237.ece|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130505071154/http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/article196237.ece|archive-date=May 5, 2013|access-date=April 15, 2011|work=[[Sunday Times]]|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
 
At the age of 36, Lakshmi was diagnosed with [[endometriosis]],<ref>{{cite AV media |date=October 17, 2011 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gfixp0jUjKg |title=Padma Lakshmi shares her struggle with endometriosis. |publisher=[[Redbook Magazine]] |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=May 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230502032634/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gfixp0jUjKg |archive-date=May 2, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> which she has had since early adolescence.


===Philanthropy===
===Philanthropy===
Lakshmi is a co-founder of the [[Endometriosis Foundation of America]], a [[nonprofit organization]] focused on increasing awareness, education, research, and legislative advocacy against the disease.<ref>{{cite web|title = ABC Nightline: Padma Lakshmi: Where Foodie Meets Fashion|url = http://www.hulu.com/watch/153360|website = Hulu|access-date = February 12, 2016|archive-date = February 16, 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160216035052/http://www.hulu.com/watch/153360|url-status = dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | author = Goldstein, Lisa A. | date = March 12, 2015 | title = Padma Lakshmi's Personal Cause: The Endometriosis Foundation of America | website = womenshealth.com | format = online news story | url = http://womenshealth.com/padma-lakshmis-personal-cause-the-endometriosis-foundation-of-america/ | access-date = March 18, 2016}}</ref> The foundation was instrumental in the 2009 opening of the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology|MIT]] Center for Gynepathology Research,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cgr.mit.edu/ |title=The MIT Center for Gynepathology Research |website=cgr.mit.edu |access-date=2023-01-02}}</ref> where Lakshmi gave the keynote address.<ref>{{cite AV media |date=December 8, 2009 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKnDjTUnKEA |title=TV host of 'Top Chef' Padma Lakshmi speaks at MIT |publisher=cambchron |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=May 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230321084155/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKnDjTUnKEA |archive-date=March 21, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> She is a global ambassador for [[Keep a Child Alive]], and since 2007 has traveled to sites in India on their behalf.
Lakshmi is a co-founder of the [[Endometriosis Foundation of America]], a [[nonprofit organization]] focused on increasing awareness, education, research, and legislative advocacy against the disease.<ref>{{cite web |title=ABC Nightline: Padma Lakshmi: Where Foodie Meets Fashion |url=http://www.hulu.com/watch/153360 |website=Hulu |access-date=February 12, 2016 |archive-date=February 16, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160216035052/http://www.hulu.com/watch/153360 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author=Goldstein, Lisa A. |date=March 12, 2015 |title=Padma Lakshmi's Personal Cause: The Endometriosis Foundation of America |website=womenshealth.com |format=online news story |url=http://womenshealth.com/padma-lakshmis-personal-cause-the-endometriosis-foundation-of-america/ |access-date=March 18, 2016 |archive-date=March 16, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150316080852/http://womenshealth.com/padma-lakshmis-personal-cause-the-endometriosis-foundation-of-america/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> The foundation was instrumental in the 2009 opening of the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology|MIT]] Center for Gynepathology Research,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cgr.mit.edu/ |title=The MIT Center for Gynepathology Research |website=cgr.mit.edu |access-date=January 2, 2023}}</ref> where Lakshmi gave the keynote address.<ref>{{cite AV media |date=December 8, 2009 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKnDjTUnKEA |title=TV host of 'Top Chef' Padma Lakshmi speaks at MIT |publisher=cambchron |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=May 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230321084155/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKnDjTUnKEA |archive-date=March 21, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>


=== Activism ===
=== Activism ===
Lakshmi is known as an advocate for immigrant rights, the independent restaurant industry<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-18|title=Padma Lakshmi's political "Taste the Nation" food series could not have debuted at a better time|url=https://www.salon.com/2020/06/18/taste-the-nation-review-padma-lakshmi-hulu/|access-date=2020-06-19|website=Salon|language=en}}</ref> and women's rights.<ref>{{cite AV media |date=January 9, 2013 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTe4rNf9mck |title=Lakshmi: Problem goes beyond gang rape |publisher=[[CNN]] |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=May 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230321091705/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTe4rNf9mck |archive-date=March 21, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>
Lakshmi is known as an advocate for immigrant rights, the independent restaurant industry,<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 18, 2020 |title=Padma Lakshmi's political "Taste the Nation" food series could not have debuted at a better time |url=https://www.salon.com/2020/06/18/taste-the-nation-review-padma-lakshmi-hulu/ |access-date=June 19, 2020 |website=Salon |language=en}}</ref> and women's rights.<ref>{{cite AV media |date=January 9, 2013 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTe4rNf9mck |title=Lakshmi: Problem goes beyond gang rape |publisher=[[CNN]] |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=May 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230321091705/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTe4rNf9mck |archive-date=March 21, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> Lakshmi is the [[American Civil Liberties Union]] (ACLU) ambassador for immigration and women's rights. She has also been a critic of skin-lightening creams marketed to people of color.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Furdyk |first=Brent |date=June 9, 2020 |title=Padma Lakshmi Slams Skin-Lightening Cream Targeting People Of Colour |url=https://etcanada.com/news/654853/padma-lakshmi-slams-skin-lightening-cream-targeting-people-of-colour/ |access-date=July 12, 2020 |website=ET Canada |archive-date=June 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200610004205/https://etcanada.com/news/654853/padma-lakshmi-slams-skin-lightening-cream-targeting-people-of-colour/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> She has also spoken about the [[colorism]] she has experienced while living in India and the United States.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Arora |first1=Priya |last2=Maheshwari |first2=Sapna |date=June 25, 2020 |title=Criticism of Skin Lighteners Brings Retreat by Unilever and Johnson & Johnson |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/25/business/unilever-jj-skin-care-lightening.html |access-date=July 1, 2020 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Rao |first=Tejal |date=June 18, 2020 |title=Padma Lakshmi Finds a New Voice, Amplifying the Voices of Others |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/18/dining/padma-lakshmi-taste-the-nation.html |access-date=July 1, 2020 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Lakshmi was appointed [[UNDP Goodwill Ambassador|United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador]] on March 7, 2019. "My main mission as UNDP Goodwill Ambassador is to shine a spotlight on the fact that inequality can affect people in rich and poor countries alike. Many nations have greatly reduced poverty, but inequality has proved more stubborn," said Lakshmi. "Inequality is further compounded by gender, age, ethnicity, and race. It especially affects women, minorities, and others who face unimaginable discrimination in the societies in which they live."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Padma Lakshmi |url=https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/goodwill-ambassadors/padma-lakshmi.html |access-date=November 4, 2020 |website=UNDP |language=en}}</ref> In December 2021, she received the Advocate of the Year Award by the [[United Nations Correspondents Association]] (UNCA).<ref>{{Cite web |title=UNDP Goodwill Ambassador Padma Lakshmi Wins 2021 Advocate of the Year Award by the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) {{!}} United Nations Development Programme |url=https://www.undp.org/press-releases/undp-goodwill-ambassador-padma-lakshmi-wins-2021-advocate-year-award-united-nations |access-date=February 10, 2022 |website=UNDP |language=en}}</ref> In October 2022, Lakshmi was honored at the 20th edition of the ACLU's Sing Out For Freedom benefit concert along with [[Patti Smith]] and [[Shaina Taub]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nyclu.org/en/events/sing-out-freedom-concert |title=Sing Out for Freedom Concert |work=New York Civil Liberties Union |date=July 11, 2022 |access-date=October 24, 2022 |archive-date=March 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230314084103/https://www.nyclu.org/en/events/sing-out-freedom-concert |url-status=dead }}</ref> Lakshmi was instrumental in the passage of a bill associated with teen health in the [[New York State Senate]].<ref name=endo/>


Lakshmi is the [[American Civil Liberties Union]] (ACLU) ambassador for immigration and women's rights. She has also been a critic of skin-lightening creams that are marketed to people of color.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Furdyk |first=Brent |date=2020-06-09 |title=Padma Lakshmi Slams Skin-Lightening Cream Targeting People Of Colour |url=https://etcanada.com/news/654853/padma-lakshmi-slams-skin-lightening-cream-targeting-people-of-colour/ |access-date=2020-07-12 |website=ET Canada}}</ref> She has also spoken about the [[colorism]] she has experienced while living in India and the United States.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Arora|first1=Priya|last2=Maheshwari|first2=Sapna|date=2020-06-25|title=Criticism of Skin Lighteners Brings Retreat by Unilever and Johnson & Johnson|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/25/business/unilever-jj-skin-care-lightening.html|access-date=2020-07-01|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Rao|first=Tejal|date=2020-06-18|title=Padma Lakshmi Finds a New Voice, Amplifying the Voices of Others|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/18/dining/padma-lakshmi-taste-the-nation.html|access-date=2020-07-01|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
==Selected filmography==
 
===Television===
Lakshmi was appointed [[United Nations Development Programme]] Goodwill Ambassador on March 7, 2019. "My main mission as UNDP Goodwill Ambassador is to shine a spotlight on the fact that inequality can affect people in rich and poor countries alike. Many nations have greatly reduced poverty, but inequality has proved more stubborn," said Lakshmi. "Inequality is further compounded by gender, age, ethnicity, and race. It especially affects women, minorities, and others who face unimaginable discrimination in the societies in which they live."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Padma Lakshmi|url=https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/goodwill-ambassadors/padma-lakshmi.html|access-date=2020-11-04|website=UNDP|language=en}}</ref> In December 2021, she received the Advocate of the Year Award by the [[United Nations Correspondents Association]] (UNCA).<ref>{{Cite web|title=UNDP Goodwill Ambassador Padma Lakshmi Wins 2021 Advocate of the Year Award by the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) {{!}} United Nations Development Programme|url=https://www.undp.org/press-releases/undp-goodwill-ambassador-padma-lakshmi-wins-2021-advocate-year-award-united-nations|access-date=2022-02-10|website=UNDP|language=en}}</ref> In October 2022, Lakshmi was honored at the 20th edition of the ACLU's Sing Out For Freedom benefit concert along with [[Patti Smith]] and [[Shaina Taub]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nyclu.org/en/events/sing-out-freedom-concert |title=Sing Out for Freedom Concert |date=July 11, 2022}}</ref>


As early voting was underway in the 2022 midterm elections, Lakshmi asked Twitter followers to make sure they had acceptable ID and referred those with questions to VoteRiders for information on their state's ID requirements.<ref>{{cite tweet |last=Lakshmi |first=Padma |author-link=Padma Lakshmi |user=PadmaLakshmi |number=1584971399093178368 |date=October 25, 2022 |title=The midterm election is 2 weeks away &amp; early voting is underway across the country! Do you know your state's voter ID laws? Check your state's rules at https://t.co/vI2UN8RYuX to make sure you bring the right ID so you aren't turned away at the polls! https://t.co/6C1sjQ36xn |language=en |access-date=May 12, 2023}}</ref>
==Selected filmography==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
|-
! Year
! Year
! Title
! Title
! Role
! Notes
! Notes
! Role
|-
| 1995 || ''[[Unzipped (film)|Unzipped]]'' || Documentary (US) || Herself
|-
| 1997 || ''Domenica In'' || TV Program (Italian) ||Host
|-
| 1998 || ''Il Figlio di Sandokan'' || TV series (Italian, Drama) ||
|-
| 1999 || ''Caraibi'' – ''Pirates: Blood Brothers '' || TV series (Italian, Adventure) || Malinche
|-
|-
|rowspan=2| 2000 || ''Linda e il brigadiere''<br />&nbsp;ep: "Il fratello di Linda" || TV series (Italian, Comedy) || Indian Lady
| 1997 || ''Domenica In'' ||Host||  
|-
|-
| ''Planet Food'' || Documentary (Cooking) ||Host
| 1998 || ''Il Figlio di Sandokan'' || ||  
|-
|-
|rowspan=2| 2001 || ''[[Glitter (film)|Glitter]]'' || Film (US) || Sylk
| 1999 || ''{{ill|Caraibi|it|Caraibi (miniserie televisiva)}}'' – ''Pirates: Blood Brothers '' || Malinche||  
|-
|-
| ''Melting Pot: Padma's Passport'' || TV Program (US, Cooking) ||Host
|rowspan=2| 2000 || ''Linda e il brigadiere''<br />&nbsp;ep: "Il fratello di Linda" || Indian Lady||  
|-
|-
| 2002 || ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]]''|| TV series (US) || Kaitaama <br>Episode: "[[Precious Cargo (Star Trek: Enterprise)|Precious Cargo]]"
| ''Planet Food'' ||Host|| Documentary
|-
|-
| 2003 || ''[[Boom (film)|Boom]]'' || Film (Indian) || Shiela Bardez
|2001
| ''Melting Pot: Padma's Passport'' ||Host||  
|-
|-
| 2005 || ''[[The Mistress of Spices]]'' || Film (Indian) || Geeta
| 2002 || ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]]''|| Kaitaama || Episode: "[[Precious Cargo (Star Trek: Enterprise)|Precious Cargo]]"
|-
|-
|rowspan=2| 2006 || ''[[The Ten Commandments (TV series)|The Ten Commandments]]'' || TV series (US) || Princess Bithia
|rowspan=2| 2006 || ''[[The Ten Commandments (miniseries)|The Ten Commandments]]'' || Princess Bithia||  
|-
|-
| ''[[Sharpe (TV series)|Sharpe]]''|| TV series (UK) || Madhuvanthi <br>Episode: "[[Sharpe's Challenge]]"
| ''[[Sharpe (TV series)|Sharpe]]''|| Madhuvanthi ||Episode: "[[Sharpe's Challenge]]"
|-
|-
| 2006–2023 ||''[[Top Chef]]''||TV Program (US, Reality/Cooking)||Host / Judge<br>(Season 2–20)
| 2006–2023 ||''[[Top Chef]]''||Host / Judge||Seasons 2–20
|-
|-
| 2009 || ''[[30 Rock]]''|| TV series (US) || Herself<br>Episode: "[[The Problem Solvers]]"
| 2009 || ''[[30 Rock]]''|| Herself || Episode: "[[The Problem Solvers]]"
|-
|-
| 2014 || ''[[Whose Line Is It Anyway? (U.S. TV series)|Whose Line Is It Anyway?]]'' || TV series (US) || Herself
| 2014 || ''[[Whose Line Is It Anyway? (American TV series)|Whose Line Is It Anyway?]]'' || Herself||  
|-
|-
| 2014 || ''[[Exclusion (film)|Exclusion]]'' ||Film (Indian)
|2014
|
|''[[Royal Pains]]''
|Herself
|Episode: "[[Royal Pains (season 6)|A Bridge Not Quite Far Enough]]"
|-
|-
| 2015–2016  
| 2015–2016  
| ''[[The View (U.S. TV series)|The View]]''
| ''[[The View (U.S. TV series)|The View]]''
| TV Program (US, Panel)
| Herself
| Herself, contributor
|  
|-
|-
|2017
|2017
|''[[Drop the Mic]]''
|''[[Drop the Mic]]''
|TV Program (US, Reality)
|Herself
|Herself, contestant<br>Episode 10 (season 10)
|Episode 10 (season 10)
|-
|-
| 2018
| 2018
|''[[RuPaul's Drag Race]]''
|''[[RuPaul's Drag Race]]''
| TV Program (US, Reality)
| Herself
| Herself, guest judge<br>Episode 2 (season 10)
|Episode 2 (season 10)
|-
|-
| 2019
| 2019
|''[[Butterbean's Café]]''
|''[[Butterbean's Café]]''
| TV series (US)
| Chef Belle Legume (Voice)
| Chef Belle Legume (Voice)<br>Episode: "The Towering Tower of Crepes!"
|Episode: "The Towering Tower of Crepes!"
|-
|-
| 2020–present
| 2020–present
|''[[Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi]]''
|''[[Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi]]''
| TV series (US, Cooking)
| Herself, host and executive producer
| Herself, host and executive producer
|
|-
|-
| 2022
| 2022
|''Getting Curious With Jonathan Van Ness''
|''Getting Curious With Jonathan Van Ness''
| TV series (US, Fun Educative)
| Herself, guest and expert
| Herself, guest and expert
|
|-
| 2023
|''[[Big Mouth (American TV series)|Big Mouth]]''
| Priya (Voice)
|
|-
| 2023
|''[[Saturday Night Live]]''
| Herself
|
|}
===Film===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1995 || ''[[Unzipped (film)|Unzipped]]'' || Herself|| Documentary 
|-
| 2001 || ''[[Glitter (film)|Glitter]]'' || Sylk||
|-
| 2003 || ''[[Boom (2003 film)|Boom]]'' || Shiela Bardez||
|-
| 2005 || ''[[The Mistress of Spices]]'' || Geeta||
|-
|}
|}


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==External links==
==External links==
 
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website}}
* {{Official website}}
* {{IMDb name}}
* {{IMDb name}}
* {{Memory Alpha}}
* {{TV Guide person|3000396550}}
* {{Facebook}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes}}
* {{Twitter}}
* {{Instagram}}
 
{{Top Chef}}


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}
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[[Category:21st-century American businesspeople]]
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[[Category:21st-century American memoirists]]
[[Category:21st-century American philanthropists]]
[[Category:21st-century American women philanthropists]]
[[Category:21st-century American women writers]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian actresses]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian businesspeople]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian businesswomen]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian designers]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian essayists]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian philanthropists]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian women writers]]
[[Category:Activists from California]]
[[Category:Activists from Queens, New York]]
[[Category:Activists from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Actresses from Chennai]]
[[Category:Actresses from Los Angeles County, California]]
[[Category:Actresses from Queens, New York]]
[[Category:Actresses in Hindi cinema]]
[[Category:American actresses of Indian descent]]
[[Category:American actresses of Indian descent]]
[[Category:American anti-racism activists]]
[[Category:American businesspeople in fashion]]
[[Category:American children's writers]]
[[Category:American Civil Liberties Union people]]
[[Category:American cookbook writers]]
[[Category:American cookbook writers]]
[[Category:American expatriate actresses in India]]
[[Category:American expatriates in Italy]]
[[Category:American female models of Indian descent]]
[[Category:American female models of Indian descent]]
[[Category:American film actresses]]
[[Category:American game show hosts]]
[[Category:American immigrant rights activists]]
[[Category:American jewelry designers]]
[[Category:American people of Indian Tamil descent]]
[[Category:American people of Indian Tamil descent]]
[[Category:American women non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:American reality competition show hosts]]
[[Category:American television actresses]]
[[Category:American women children's writers]]
[[Category:American women columnists]]
[[Category:American women fashion designers]]
[[Category:American women food writers]]
[[Category:American women human rights activists]]
[[Category:American women television hosts]]
[[Category:American women writers of Indian descent]]
[[Category:American women writers of Indian descent]]
[[Category:American film actresses]]
[[Category:American women's rights activists]]
[[Category:American television actresses]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Chennai]]
[[Category:Actresses in Hindi cinema]]
[[Category:Businesspeople of Indian descent]]
[[Category:American expatriate actresses in India]]
[[Category:Businesswomen from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Clark University alumni]]
[[Category:Clark University alumni]]
[[Category:English-language Indian writers]]
[[Category:Fashion designers from New York City]]
[[Category:Female models from California]]
[[Category:Female models from Chennai]]
[[Category:Female models from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Indian businesspeople in fashion]]
[[Category:Indian children's writers]]
[[Category:Indian cookbook writers]]
[[Category:Indian emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Indian emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian expatriate actresses]]
[[Category:Indian expatriates in Italy]]
[[Category:Indian fashion designers]]
[[Category:Indian game show hosts]]
[[Category:Indian jewellery designers]]
[[Category:Indian television actresses]]
[[Category:Indian television producers]]
[[Category:Indian women children's writers]]
[[Category:Indian women essayists]]
[[Category:Indian women fashion designers]]
[[Category:Indian women food writers]]
[[Category:Indian women human rights activists]]
[[Category:Indian women television presenters]]
[[Category:Indian women television producers]]
[[Category:Indian women's rights activists]]
[[Category:Judges in American reality television series]]
[[Category:Lingerie designers]]
[[Category:Memoirists from California]]
[[Category:Memoirists from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Models from New York City]]
[[Category:Multilingual writers]]
[[Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States]]
[[Category:The New York Times columnists]]
[[Category:The New Yorker people]]
[[Category:The New Yorker people]]
[[Category:Participants in American reality television series]]
[[Category:People from La Puente, California]]
[[Category:Top Chef]]
[[Category:Philanthropists from California]]
[[Category:Women cookbook writers]]
[[Category:Philanthropists from New York City]]
[[Category:Women food writers]]
[[Category:Television personalities from California]]
[[Category:Television personalities from New York City]]
[[Category:Television personalities from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Television producers from California]]
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[[Category:United Nations goodwill ambassadors]]
[[Category:Women writers from Tamil Nadu]]
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[[Category:Writers from Chennai]]
[[Category:Writers from New York City]]
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[[Category:Multilingual writers]]
[[Category:American food writers]]
[[Category:Cookbook writers]]

Latest revision as of 18:57, 29 March 2026


Padma Lakshmi
Lakshmi in 2017
Born
Padma Parvati Lakshmi Vaidynathan

(1970-09-01) September 1, 1970 (age 55)
Madras, Tamil Nadu, India
CitizenshipUnited States
Occupation
  • TV host
  • model
  • author
  • entrepreneur
  • activist
  • producer
Years active1992–present
Spouse(s)
​
(
m. 2004; div. 2007)
Children1
Modeling information
Height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[1]
Hair colorBlack[1]
Eye colorBrown[1]
Websitewww.padmalakshmi.com

Padma Parvati Lakshmi (ta; née Vaidynathan; born September 1, 1970) is an American television host, model, author, entrepreneur, and activist. She rose to prominence by hosting the Bravo cooking competition program Top Chef (2006–2023). Lakshmi is the creator, host, and executive producer of the docuseries Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi, which premiered in 2020 on Hulu. For her work with these two series, as an executive producer and as a host, she has received 16 Primetime Emmy Award nominations.

Born in India, Lakshmi immigrated to the United States as a child. She became a model before embarking on a career on television. She has written five books: two cookbooks, Easy Exotic and Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet; an encyclopedia, The Encyclopedia of Spices & Herbs: An Essential Guide to the Flavors of the World; a memoir, Love, Loss, and What We Ate; and a children's book, Tomatoes for Neela illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal, the latter two appearing on The New York Times's best-seller list. Lakshmi has formed and produced sales for five different businesses. She co-founded the Endometriosis Foundation of America in 2009. She was appointed United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador in 2019. Lakshmi was listed among Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world in 2023.

Early life and education[edit | edit source]

Lakshmi was born Padma Parvati Lakshmi Vaidynathan on September 1, 1970,[2] in the city of Madras, which has been known by Chennai since 1996, in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.[3] Her mother, Vijaya Lakshmi,[4] is a retired oncology nurse.[5] Vijaya and Lakshmi's father separated in 1971 and divorced the next year, after which the former immigrated to the United States alone. Lakshmi lived with her maternal grandparents before joining Vijaya two years later. Lakshmi lived in the New York City borough of Queens[6][7] before moving to La Puente, a city in Los Angeles County, California, with her stepfather, Anand Prasad – a Fijian-born ethnic Indian[8] – and Vijaya.[9] Lakshmi has stated that, as a teenager, she was bullied due to her Indian heritage, which caused her to struggle to overcome "internalized self-loathing."[10]

At the age of 14, Lakshmi was hospitalized for three weeks and eventually diagnosed with Stevens–Johnson syndrome, a rare illness caused by hypersensitivity to an infection or a potentially fatal reaction to certain kinds of medications. Two days after her discharge from the hospital, she was injured in a car accident in the city of Malibu, which left her with a fractured right hip and a shattered right upper arm.[11] The arm injury required surgery, from which she retained a seven-inch scar between her elbow and shoulder.[7][12]

Lakshmi graduated from William Workman High School in the City of Industry in 1988.[9][13] In 1992, she graduated from Clark University, earning a bachelor's degree in Theatre Arts and American Literature.[14][15]

In a 2018 essay for The New York Times, Lakshmi revealed that, at the age of 16, she was raped by her then boyfriend, which she did not report; Lakshmi stated that she made the decision because, at the age of seven, she was molested by her step-uncle, and Vijaya and Anand sent her back to India for a year after she told them about the molestation;[7] Lakshmi wrote, "The lesson was: If you speak up, you will be cast out. [...] I am speaking now because I want us all to fight so that our daughters never know this fear and shame and our sons know that girls' bodies do not exist for their pleasure and that abuse has grave consequences."[16] When she became a naturalized US citizen, Lakshmi officially changed her name to simply Padma Parvati Lakshmi to honor Vijaya.[4][17]

Career[edit | edit source]

Modeling[edit | edit source]

Lakshmi began her modeling career at age 21, when a modeling agent discovered Lakshmi while she was studying in Madrid.[12] She has said, "I was the first Indian model to have a career in Paris, Milan, and New York. I'm the first one to admit that I was a novelty."[18] Lakshmi was able to pay off her college loans by working as a model and actress.[citation needed][19]

Lakshmi in 2008

She has modeled for designers including Emanuel Ungaro, Giorgio Armani, Gianni Versace, Ralph Lauren, and Alberta Ferretti and appeared in ad campaigns for Roberto Cavalli and Versus.[20] She was a favorite model of the photographer Helmut Newton, whose photographs of her often highlighted the large scar on her right arm.[21][22] Lakshmi has appeared on the covers of Redbook, Vogue India, FHM, Cosmopolitan, L'Officiel India, Asian Woman, Elle, Avenue, Industry Magazine, Marie Claire (India Edition), Harper's Bazaar, Town & Country, and Newsweek.[23] She also posed nude for the May 2009 issue of Allure.[24] She has done shoots for photographers Mario Testino and Helmut Newton.[12][25] In 2023, at age 53, she appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.[26]

Film, television, and hosting[edit | edit source]

Lakshmi served as a host of Domenica In, an Italian program, in 1997.[27] She hosted the Food Network series Padma's Passport,[25] which was part of the larger series Melting Pot in 2001, where she cooked recipes from around the world. She also hosted two one-hour specials in South India and Spain for the British culinary tourism show Planet Food, broadcast on the Food Network in the U.S. and internationally on the Discovery Channels.[28] Lakshmi was also an official contributor for season 19 of The View from 2015 to 2016.[29]

Lakshmi was a host and judge on the television show Top Chef. She also serves as an executive producer of the show. Lakshmi was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program in 2009 and in 2020 through 2022 for Top Chef. In 2020, Lakshmi won three Critic's Choice Awards for Top Chef.[30] In 2023 she departed from the show following the twentieth season.[31]

Lakshmi is also the creator, host, and executive producer of Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi, which premiered on Hulu on June 18, 2020,[32] and received the Gotham Award for Breakthrough Series[33] and Critic's Choice Awards for Best Culinary Show in 2021 and 2022.[15][34] Taste the Nation received 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.[35] In 2021, Hulu released a 4-episode special, Taste the Nation: Holiday Edition. In June 2022, Lakshmi received her first James Beard Foundation Award for Taste the Nation: Holiday Edition.[36]

Her first film roles were in the Italian pirate movies The Son of Sandokan and Caraibi [it] (Pirates: Blood Brothers). She had a comical supporting part as the lip-synching disco singer Sylk in the 2001 American movie Glitter, starring Mariah Carey. In 2002, Lakshmi made an appearance as alien princess Kaitaama in "Precious Cargo," of the TV series Star Trek: Enterprise. She portrayed Madhuvanthi in the TV movie Sharpe's Challenge (aired 2006).[37] In 2006, she appeared in ABC's Biblical TV series The Ten Commandments as Princess Bithia. In 2009, Lakshmi appeared in the video for the Eels song "That Look You Give That Guy."[38]

She starred in the 2003 Bollywood film Boom, alongside Katrina Kaif and Madhu Sapre, as one of three supermodels accused of stealing diamonds. She played the role of Geeta in Paul Mayeda Berges's 2005 film The Mistress of Spices. Lakshmi also made a guest appearance on the NBC series 30 Rock in 2009 and appeared on Whose Line Is It Anyway? in 2014.[citation needed]

Books and writing[edit | edit source]

Padma Lakshmi unveiling her book Love, Loss, and What We Ate: A Memoir, in 2017

Lakshmi's first cookbook, Easy Exotic, a compilation of international recipes and short essays released in 1999, was awarded the Best First Book at the 1999 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in Versailles. Her second cookbook, Tangy, Tart, Hot and Sweet, was released on October 2, 2007,[39] and was reissued in March 2021.[40] Her first memoir, Love, Loss and What We Ate, was released on International's Women's Day, March 8, 2016, and was a The New York Times best-seller.[26] Also in 2016, Lakshmi's third culinary book, an encyclopedia and reference guide, The Encyclopedia of Spices and Herbs: An Essential Guide to the Flavors of the World, was released on October 4.[41] Her first children's book Tomatoes for Neela, released on August 31, 2021, and illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal, debuted fourth on The New York Times best-seller list.

  • Easy Exotic: A Model's Low Fat Recipes From Around the World (1999, Hyperion Books)
  • Tangy, Tart, Hot and Sweet: A World of Recipes for Every Day (2007, Hachette Book Group)
  • Love, Loss, and What We Ate: A Memoir (2016, Ecco)
  • The Encyclopedia of Spices and Herbs: An Essential Guide to the Flavors of the World (2016, HarperCollins)
  • Tomatoes for Neela (2021, Viking Children's Books)
  • Padma's All American (2025, Knopf)

Lakshmi also guest edited The Best American Travel Writing 2021, a collection of essays from renowned travel writers. Lakshmi wrote a syndicated column in The New York Times[42] and has written articles on style for the American edition of Vogue, at editor Anna Wintour's request. She also wrote a column on style for Harper's Bazaar (UK and US editions), following a commission from editor Glenda Bailey.

Business endeavors[edit | edit source]

Lakshmi created "The Padma Collection" of fine jewelry that was sold at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, and Nordstrom. Under the same trade name, she designed a home décor line that was sold at all Bloomingdale’s stores. Also, Lakshmi created "Padma’s Easy Exotic", a conglomeration of gastronomic items that included home goods, teas, organic foods, and spice blends, and worked with MAC Cosmetics to create a collection of a small, curated, selections of makeup products for worldwide distribution named "MAC Padma" that soon initially sold out in the United States and India.[15] She launched a lingerie collaboration with Bare Necessities in June 2024 called "Padma X Bare Necessities".[43][44]

Personal life[edit | edit source]

In April 2004, after living together for five years, Lakshmi and novelist Salman Rushdie married. Rushdie stated that Lakshmi asked for a divorce in January 2007,[45] and in July 2007, the couple filed it.[46][47] She later dated billionaire Theodore J. Forstmann.[48][49] On February 22, 2010, Lakshmi gave birth to her daughter with businessman Adam Dell.[50][51]

Lakshmi speaks five languages: Tamil, Hindi, English, Spanish, and Italian.[52] At age 36, Lakshmi was diagnosed with endometriosis,[53] which she has had since early adolescence. In 2016, Lakshmi was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor from the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO) and, in 2018, earned the Karma Award from Variety.[26][15] In 2022, Lakshmi was honored by the Carnegie Corporation of New York's Great Immigrant Award.[54][55] She was listed among Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world in 2023.[56] In 2024, Lakshmi was a visiting scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and was bestowed the ICON Award from Boston University's School of Hospitality Administration.[26][15]

Philanthropy[edit | edit source]

Lakshmi is a co-founder of the Endometriosis Foundation of America, a nonprofit organization focused on increasing awareness, education, research, and legislative advocacy against the disease.[57][58] The foundation was instrumental in the 2009 opening of the MIT Center for Gynepathology Research,[59] where Lakshmi gave the keynote address.[60]

Activism[edit | edit source]

Lakshmi is known as an advocate for immigrant rights, the independent restaurant industry,[61] and women's rights.[62] Lakshmi is the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) ambassador for immigration and women's rights. She has also been a critic of skin-lightening creams marketed to people of color.[63] She has also spoken about the colorism she has experienced while living in India and the United States.[64][65] Lakshmi was appointed United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador on March 7, 2019. "My main mission as UNDP Goodwill Ambassador is to shine a spotlight on the fact that inequality can affect people in rich and poor countries alike. Many nations have greatly reduced poverty, but inequality has proved more stubborn," said Lakshmi. "Inequality is further compounded by gender, age, ethnicity, and race. It especially affects women, minorities, and others who face unimaginable discrimination in the societies in which they live."[66] In December 2021, she received the Advocate of the Year Award by the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA).[67] In October 2022, Lakshmi was honored at the 20th edition of the ACLU's Sing Out For Freedom benefit concert along with Patti Smith and Shaina Taub.[68] Lakshmi was instrumental in the passage of a bill associated with teen health in the New York State Senate.[15]

Selected filmography[edit | edit source]

Television[edit | edit source]

Year Title Role Notes
1997 Domenica In Host
1998 Il Figlio di Sandokan
1999 Caraibi [it] – Pirates: Blood Brothers Malinche
2000 Linda e il brigadiere
 ep: "Il fratello di Linda"		 Indian Lady
Planet Food Host Documentary
2001 Melting Pot: Padma's Passport Host
2002 Star Trek: Enterprise Kaitaama Episode: "Precious Cargo"
2006 The Ten Commandments Princess Bithia
Sharpe Madhuvanthi Episode: "Sharpe's Challenge"
2006–2023 Top Chef Host / Judge Seasons 2–20
2009 30 Rock Herself Episode: "The Problem Solvers"
2014 Whose Line Is It Anyway? Herself
2014 Royal Pains Herself Episode: "A Bridge Not Quite Far Enough"
2015–2016 The View Herself
2017 Drop the Mic Herself Episode 10 (season 10)
2018 RuPaul's Drag Race Herself Episode 2 (season 10)
2019 Butterbean's Café Chef Belle Legume (Voice) Episode: "The Towering Tower of Crepes!"
2020–present Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi Herself, host and executive producer
2022 Getting Curious With Jonathan Van Ness Herself, guest and expert
2023 Big Mouth Priya (Voice)
2023 Saturday Night Live Herself

Film[edit | edit source]

Year Title Role Notes
1995 Unzipped Herself Documentary
2001 Glitter Sylk
2003 Boom Shiela Bardez
2005 The Mistress of Spices Geeta

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "About Padma Lakshmi". indiaforums.com. India Forums. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Padma Lakshmi". TV Guide. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
  3. ↑ Neha Tara Mehta (October 24, 2010). "Padma a secret in Rushdie memoir". India Today. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Olito, Frank. "10 things you didn't know about 'Top Chef's' Padma Lakshmi". businessinsider.com. Business Insider. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  5. ↑ Young, Julius (September 2, 2020). "Padma Lakshmi celebrates 50th birthday with bikini snap, reflects on 'year of misery and elation'". Fox News. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Don't mind if I Dosa". Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi. Hulu. No. 3, season 1.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Padma Lakshmi, Model, Actor And TV Host, Says Above All, She's A Writer". Fresh Air (Interview). Interviewed by Gross, Terry. July 6, 2020. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
  8. ↑ Wrightson, Erica Zora (January 5, 2023). "How Padma Lakshmi's stepdad became the curry leaf king of California". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Yamato, Jen; Shyong, Frank. "Padma Lakshmi". Los Angeles Times (Podcast).
  10. ↑ Hauser, Christine (March 9, 2016). "Padma Lakshmi Opens Up About Rushdie in Memoir". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Letter From New York". Vanity Fair. No. s 566–568. 2007.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Cartner-Morley, Jess (April 8, 2006). "The unlikely wife of Salman Rushdie Padma Lakshmi talks to Jess Cartner-Morley". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Padma Lakshmi." In Newsmakers. Vol. 2. Detroit, MI: Gale, 2012. Gale In Context: Biography (accessed July 17, 2020).
  14. ↑ Salerno, Jane (August 16, 2012). "Padma Power". clarknow.clarku.edu. Clark University. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 "Padma Lakshmi Actor, Writer, Producer, EndoFound Founder". endofound.org. Endometriosis Foundation of America. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  16. ↑ Padma Lakshmi (September 25, 2018). "I was raped at 16 and I kept silent". The New York Times. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
  17. ↑ @PadmaLakshmi (November 8, 2016). "Brown, proud and voting loud!!!! Immigrants make this country great. Vote no for bigotry and yes to love vs hate!" (Tweet). Retrieved January 17, 2025 – via Twitter.
  18. ↑ Padma Lakshmi — Evening Standard Magazine LakshmiFilms.com
  19. ↑ Gross, Terry (September 4, 2020). "Padma Lakshmi, Model, Actor And TV Host, Says Above All, She's A Writer". NPR. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  20. ↑ Padma Lakshmi Bio Archived November 10, 2006, at the Wayback Machine Bravotv.com
  21. ↑ D'Souza Wolfe, Nandini. "At Home with Padma". New York Press. Retrieved February 9, 2014.
  22. ↑ Clark, Molly (December 29, 2021). "The Unexpected Way Padma Lakshmi Got Into Modeling". Mashed.com. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  23. ↑ "Press for Padma Lakshmi". Lakshmifilms.com. Archived from the original on November 28, 2004. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
  24. ↑ Lysaght, Stephanie (April 13, 2009). "Padma Lakshmi of 'Top Chef' and Chelsea Handler of E! get naked". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 14, 2009.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Unny, Divya (July 5, 2007). "Padma Lakshmi..the woman who broke Rushdie's heart". Daily News and Analysis. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 "Profiles | Padma Lakshmi". bu.edu. Boston University. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  27. ↑ Stephen Henderson (April 25, 2004). "Weddings/Celebrations – Vows – Padma Lakshmi and Salman Rushdie". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 28, 2015. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
  28. ↑ "Food – TV and radio". BBC. Archived from the original on November 17, 2006. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
  29. ↑ "Season 19 of 'The View' kicks off with new cast, old favorite". ABC7 San Francisco. September 8, 2015.
  30. ↑ DeBianchi, Antonia (June 13, 2022). "Padma Lakshmi Won 3 Critics Choice Real TV Awards — and Brought Her Mom to the Show". People. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  31. ↑ Haring, Bruce (June 8, 2023). "Top Chef World All-Stars Names Season 20 Winner, Bids Fond Farewell To Padma Lakshmi". Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  32. ↑ "Taste the Nation". Hulu Press. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  33. ↑ Davis, Clayton (January 12, 2021). "'Nomadland' Wins Best Feature at Gotham Awards, Riz Ahmed and Nicole Beharie Upset in Acting Categories". Variety. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  34. ↑ BEST CULINARY SHOW - 3rd Annual Critics Choice REAL TV Awards. Critics Choice. June 21, 2021. Archived from the original on March 18, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2023 – via YouTube.
  35. ↑ "Taste the Nation With Padma Lakshmi". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  36. ↑ Tolley, John (June 13, 2022). "Padma Lakshmi's Taste The Nation Just Received An Impressive Honor". Tasting Table. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  37. ↑ "Escape Views". Harpers & Queen. March 2004. Archived from the original on November 28, 2004.
  38. ↑ "Eels, 'That Look You Give That Guy' – Video Premiere – Spinner UK". Spinnermusic.co.uk. September 1, 2009. Archived from the original on March 2, 2010. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
  39. ↑ Amazon.com Tangy Tart Hot and Sweet: A World of Recipes for Every Day (Hardcover)
  40. ↑ "Top Chef's Padma Lakshmi Serves It Up Tangy, Tart, Hot, and Sweet". Cherry Bombe. March 22, 2021. Archived from the original on February 11, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  41. ↑ "The Encyclopedia of Spices and Herbs". HarperCollins. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  42. ↑ "Padma Lakshmi's column". The New York Times.
  43. ↑ Hudgins, Ryan (May 30, 2024). "Padma Lakshmi Says She's at Her 'Sexual Peak' at 53". Us Weekly. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  44. ↑ Lockwood, Lisa (May 29, 2024). "Exclusive: Padma Lakshmi and Bare Necessities Cook Up Lingerie and Swimwear Collection". wwd.com. Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  45. ↑ Anthony, Andrew (April 6, 2008). "The Bookers' favourite". The Guardian. Retrieved September 4, 2022. By this he means the end of his marriage. In January of 2007, Lakshmi asked for a divorce.
  46. ↑ "Rushdie, Top Chef Wife Skewer Marriage". E!. July 3, 2007. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007.
  47. ↑ Atad, Corey (August 14, 2022). "Padma Lakshmi Is 'Relieved' That Ex-Husband Salman Rushdie Is Recovering After Stabbing Attack". ET Canada. Archived from the original on September 5, 2022. Retrieved September 4, 2022. They filed for divorce in 2007.
  48. ↑ "The Unwritable Memoirs of Teddy Forstmann: How the Billionaire Treated His Ghostwriters". Vanity Fair. January 11, 2013. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  49. ↑ "Teddy Forstmann Wanted Padma Lakshmi's Baby to Be Raised as His Own Daughter". Vanity Fair. January 3, 2013. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  50. ↑ Padma Lakshmi Welcomes A Daughter Sarah Michaud, People, February 22, 2010
  51. ↑ Padma Lakshmi Is 50! Top Chef Host Feels 'Truly Blessed' as She Celebrates with Partner Adam Dell People, Claudia Harmata, September 1, 2020
  52. ↑ Hattersley, Giles (April 2, 2006). "My husband? Oh, he's a writer dude". Sunday Times. Retrieved April 15, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  53. ↑ Padma Lakshmi shares her struggle with endometriosis. Redbook Magazine. October 17, 2011. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2023 – via YouTube.
  54. ↑ "Padma Lakshmi". Carnegie Corporation of New York. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
  55. ↑ Kumar, Arun (July 1, 2022). "Padma Lakshmi, Punit Renjen among Carnegie's 2022 class of Great Immigrants - The American Bazaar". Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  56. ↑ "Padma Lakshmi 'Honoured' To Be Among World's Most Influential People On TIME 100". Outlook India. May 31, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  57. ↑ "ABC Nightline: Padma Lakshmi: Where Foodie Meets Fashion". Hulu. Archived from the original on February 16, 2016. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  58. ↑ Goldstein, Lisa A. (March 12, 2015). "Padma Lakshmi's Personal Cause: The Endometriosis Foundation of America". womenshealth.com. Archived from the original (online news story) on March 16, 2015. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  59. ↑ "The MIT Center for Gynepathology Research". cgr.mit.edu. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  60. ↑ TV host of 'Top Chef' Padma Lakshmi speaks at MIT. cambchron. December 8, 2009. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2023 – via YouTube.
  61. ↑ "Padma Lakshmi's political "Taste the Nation" food series could not have debuted at a better time". Salon. June 18, 2020. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  62. ↑ Lakshmi: Problem goes beyond gang rape. CNN. January 9, 2013. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2023 – via YouTube.
  63. ↑ Furdyk, Brent (June 9, 2020). "Padma Lakshmi Slams Skin-Lightening Cream Targeting People Of Colour". ET Canada. Archived from the original on June 10, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  64. ↑ Arora, Priya; Maheshwari, Sapna (June 25, 2020). "Criticism of Skin Lighteners Brings Retreat by Unilever and Johnson & Johnson". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  65. ↑ Rao, Tejal (June 18, 2020). "Padma Lakshmi Finds a New Voice, Amplifying the Voices of Others". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  66. ↑ "Padma Lakshmi". UNDP. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  67. ↑ "UNDP Goodwill Ambassador Padma Lakshmi Wins 2021 Advocate of the Year Award by the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) | United Nations Development Programme". UNDP. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  68. ↑ "Sing Out for Freedom Concert". New York Civil Liberties Union. July 11, 2022. Archived from the original on March 14, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2022.

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