Padma Lakshmi Wiki Biography | Husband, Daughter, and Family

Padma Lakshmi Husband, Daughter, and Net Worth: Padma Lakshmi is a famous author, activist, model, and television personality. She was born to her parents in India and now is a citizen of the United States. She came into prominence after she joined the show Top Chef as a host. She was an integral part of the show for 17 years and more than 20 seasons. Many of her fans have called her the secret ingredient of the show Top Chef.

As an author, she has written books like Easy Exotic, Tomatoes For Neela, and Love, Loss, and What We Ate among several others. She is also an Emmy-nominated producer and is well-known for her work in the entertainment industry. Additionally, she is also famous for being the spouse of Salman Rushdie.

Padma Lakshmi

Padma Lakshmi Age | How Old Is She?

The television personality was born on the 1st of September in the year 1970. She is currently 53 years of age as of 2023. Her full name is Padma Parvati Lakshmi Vaidyanathan. Interestingly, her name is taken from the name of a goddess worshiped in India by adherents of the Hindu religion. She is also known by her nickname Angelique.

Padma was born in Madras, Chennai in India to her Tamil Brahmin parents. She came to the United States with her mother and stepfather after her mother divorced her biological father. She now holds an American nationality and her ethnicity is Indian.

Early Life

When Lakshmi was four years old, her family immigrated to the United States. She was raised in New York City before relocating to La Puente, California, with her mother and stepfather. She described how she had to overcome “internalized self-loathing” as a girl growing up in Los Angeles because she was tormented and experienced anti-Indian bigotry.

Lakshmi was hospitalized for three weeks in 1984 when she was 14 years old and was later determined to have Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a rare condition brought on by hypersensitivity to an infection or a potentially lethal reaction to some drugs.

Professional Career: Modeling

At the age of 21, Lakshmi started her modeling career after being spotted by a modeling agent while she was studying abroad in Madrid. Working as a model and actor allowed Lakshmi to pay off her student loans.

She has worked as a model for brands like Roberto Cavalli and Versus as well as Emanuel Ungaro, Giorgio Armani, Gianni Versace, Ralph Lauren, and Alberta Ferretti. She was a favorite subject of Helmut Newton, who frequently emphasized the noticeable scar on her right arm in his portraits of her.

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 have all had Lakshmi on their covers. She additionally posed naked for the Allure May 2009 edition. She has participated in photo shootings with Mario Testino and Helmut Newton.

Padma Lakshmi

Television Career

The critically praised Hulu series Taste the Nation, which had its second season premiere in May 2023 and earned four Critics Choice Real TV Nominations, was created, hosted, and executive produced by her. The 2021 Gotham Award nomination for Breakthrough Series, the 2021 Critics Choice Real TV Award for Best Show Host, and the 2022 Critics Choice Real TV Award for Best Culinary Series all went to Taste the Nation. In the category of Visual Media – Long Form, Taste the Nation: Holiday Edition earned a James Beard Foundation Award in June 2022.

Lakshmi also serves as host and executive producer of Bravo’s two-time Emmy-winning series Top Chef, now in its 20th season. Top Chef has been nominated for 42 Emmys, including her four-time nomination as Outstanding Host for A Reality-Competition Program. In 2022, she accepted two Critics Choice Real TV Awards for Best Culinary Show and Best Competition Series on behalf of Top Chef as well as an award for Best Show Host.

Padma Lakshmi Books

She is a prolific writer and is the author of the best-selling cookbook Easy Exotic, which was recognized at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards as the Best First Book. Following this, Lakshmi released her second cookbook, Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet, as well as her best-selling memoir, Love, Loss, and What We Ate. The Encyclopaedia of Spices & Herbs was one of her latter works. Her debut children’s book, Tomatoes for Neela, which was also a New York Times best-seller, was released in August 2021.

Who Is She Married To? Padma Lakshmi Husband

In 1999, Padma Lakshmi, the star of Taste of the Nation, first met Salman Rushdie, her husband. Salman, a renowned novelist and the 1981 winner of the prestigious Booker Prize left Padma feeling awestruck after their first encounter. Salman’s divorce from his third wife was finalized after their first date in Central Park, and the couple moved in together in 2000.

Finally, in 2004, the pair were hitched. The 14th floor of an opulent Manhattan studio served as the location for both the wedding and the after-party.

But after their wedding, Padma and Salman encountered several difficulties in their relationship. Salman developed resentment as the TV celebrity’s career advanced and she became more in-demand, according to the personality. The couple got divorced in the year 2007 after being married for 4 years.

Padma Lakshmi

Padma Lakshmi’s Daughter

Salman Rushdie, winner of the Booker Prize, and Padma’s marriage ended amicably in 2007. She began dating Adam R. Dell and Theodore J. Forstmann in the same year. But when Padma gave birth to her daughter Krishna Thea Lakshmi-Dell in February 2010, things took a new turn.

It is evident from one glance at Padma’s Instagram profile that Krishna has also inherited her mother’s lovely genes. With their raven hair and exquisite features, the mother and daughter pair seem quite similar.

Information Table

Name Padma Lakshmi
Nickname Angelique
Gender Female
Profession Actress, Model, and TV Personality
Height (approx.) in centimeters– 175 cm

in meters- 175 m 

in feet inches– 5’9″

Weight (approx.) in kilograms– 60 kg 

in pounds- 132 lbs

Figure Measurements (approx.) Not Known
Eye Colour Brown
Hair Colour Black
Date of Birth 1 September 1970
Age (as of 2023) 53 Years
Birth Place Madras, India
Zodiac sign/Sun sign Virgo
Nationality American
Hometown Los Angeles
School William Workman High School
College/University Clark Helsinki
Educational Qualification Graduate
Religion Hinduism
Ethnicity Indian
Caste Not Known
Address California, United States
Hobbies/Interests Not Known
Marital Status Divorced
Affairs/Boyfriends/Girlfriends Adam Dell (Ex-Partner)
Sexuality Straight
Parents Father: Vaidyanathan

Mother: Vijay Lakshmi

Siblings Brother: Not Known

Sister: Not Known

Husband/Wife/Spouse Salman Rushdie (Ex-husband)
Children Krishna Thea Lakshmi-Dell
Net Worth $40 million

Social Media Accounts

Instagram

Twitter

Some Lesser Known Facts About Padma Lakshmi:

  • Due to her cosmopolitan upbringing, Lakshmi speaks five languages fluently and with joy. Speaking multiple languages is beneficial for learning about and showcasing cuisine from different regions of the world, especially because she travels the world and introduces chefs from various backgrounds.
  • Lakshmi balances herself with tea so she can manage her schedule. She used her favorite masala chai or Hediard black tea as an example. Lakshmi has occasionally even mentioned how she makes 45 cups of tea for herself.
  • To her 1.1 million followers, Lakshmi used her platform to raise awareness for global socioeconomic problems. Similar to this, Lakshmi utilized her platform to speak out after acid was thrown at 21-year-old Pakistani American Nafiah Ikram in New York.
  • Lakshmi was attending college to further her studies in order to pursue an acting profession. She received a degree in theatre arts and American literature from Clark University.

FAQs About Padma Lakshmi

  1. Who are Padma Lakshmi’s parents?

Her father was Vaidyanath and her mother is Vijaya Lakshmi.

     2. How old is Padma Lakshmi?

She was born on 1 September 1970 and is now 53 years old.

    3. Where is Padma Lakshmi from?

She was born in Madras, India and now resides in the United States.

    4. What is the net worth of Padma Lakshmi?

She has a net worth of around INR $10 million.

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