Whether you are a bibliophile, a fan of movies and TV shows, or fashion, there is a chance that through either of these creative mediums, you have heard the name, Padma Lakshmi. One of the most talented women in the Hollywood today, she has been in the industry for more than 25 years, during which she has made her name through various means, from hosting popular TV shows to appearing as an actress in movies or walking the runway.
Padma Lakshmi, despite many years in the industry, continues to remain relevant and in this article, we discuss everything you need to know about her, including her personal life. Check it out below.
Who Is Padma Lakshmi?
On the 1st of September, 1970, she was born as Padma Parvati Lakshmi Vaidyanathan in Madras, Tamil Nadu in India. Her mother, Vijaya, is a retired oncologist while her father is a retired executive of Pfizer, the giant pharmaceutical company. While her parents’ economic background might suggest a smooth childhood, the reality was different for Padma. Her parents got divorced when she was two years old and she was raised with her mother in New York and Los Angeles.
She also suffered from health problems, specifically a battle with Stevens-Johnson syndrome as well as a car accident that fractured her hip and broke her upper arm. All while battling her difficult childhood, Padma Lakshmi attended William Workman High School before heading over to Clark University where she got her bachelor’s degree in Theater Arts.
Padma Laksmi’s career in show business began when she was still a student in the university. During her Clark University years, she traveled abroad to Madrid to study and while she was there, she began her modeling career. Discovered by an agent while she was in a café, she went on to become the first Indian woman to model for major fashion brands in Paris, New York, and Milan.
Padma worked with brands like Gianni Versace, Ralph Lauren, Roberto Cavalli, and a few others. She also appeared on the cover of a number of reputable magazines, such as Newsweek, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire and several others.
While her modeling career was in full swing, she began her acting career, making her debut appearance in the Italian production, Linda e il brigadier. She appeared in a few other Italian productions before she began appearing in US productions like Wasteland, Star Trek: Enterprise, Royal Pains, and 30 Rock. The Indian-American host has appeared in more than 18 movies and TV shows since she made her debut.
Her most enduring career, which is as a TV host, began in 1997, with Domenica In; after which she hosted a couple of other shows like Padma’s Passport, Melting Pot and a couple of others before she started hosting the show, Top Chef. She joined the show in its second season and has remained as its host and one of its judges to date. The show, under Padma Lakshmi, has scored more than 58 award nominations, including the Primetime Emmys, which it has won twice.
In addition to being an actress, a host, and a model, Padma Lakshmi is also an author who has written four books, three of which are cookbooks. Her first cookbook, Easy Exotic: A Model’s Low Fat Recipes From Around the World was released in 1999 and it was a recipient of the Best First Book award at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. Her only non-cookbook, a memoir, was released in 2016, titled Love, Loss and What We Ate: A Memoir.
Also, the model/TV host is also an entrepreneur through her jewelry lines, and her tableware, kitchenware and spices collections.
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Does Padma Lakshmi Have A New Husband Or Boyfriend?
Padma Lakshmi has been married once, to the famous and controversial novelist, Salman Rushdie. They were married from April 2004 to July 2007. They never had children while together.
Since the divorce, fans of the Indian-American TV host have wondered if she would return to the altar, and while there is no evidence of that happening soon, it might happen with her boyfriend, Adam Dell, whom she has been in a relationship with since 2017.
Before they began dating in 2017, they were together for a brief period in 2009, during which she got pregnant with her only child, Krishna Thea Lakshmi-Dell. They were co-parents to their daughter between 2011 to 2017 before they resumed dating.
Her boyfriend, Adam Dell, is a venture capitalist and the brother of Dell founder, Michael Dell.
