Padma Lakshmi

Padma Lakshmi Introduction

The former Lady Rushdie is an Indian-American beauty who is best known as a cookbook author, model, and TV host of Top Chef. Her high-profile marriage and subsequent divorce to author Salman Rushie keeps her in the tabloids.

Padma Lakshmi Biography

As one of the first Indian supermodels, Lakshmi had traveled around the world by the age of 20. She was first discovered by a modeling agent while eating in a café in Spain. She admits, however, that her ethnicity helped close the deal. "I was the first Indian model to have a career in Paris, Milan and New York," she said. "I’m the first one to admit that I was a novelty."

Her modeling career helped open the door to acting jobs and soon Lakshmi was appearing on shows such as Star Trek: Enterprise (Jolene Blalock) and in movies such as The Mistress of Spices. In 2006 she became the host of the reality cooking show Top Chef, where she must sample some dishes that make her a bit squemish, since she is a vegetarian. She has also written two cookbooks, Easy Exotic in 1999 and Tangy, Tart, Hot, and Sweet in 2007.

In 2004, Lakshmi married the controversial author Rushdie, despite a 37 year age difference. In 2007, however, she filed for divorce. We don't blame her.