On the screen, Padma Lakshmi is known as the fun-loving, NSFW meme-posting host of Top Chef. But as she enjoys the fine dining that the contestants have to offer, she’s also pretty no-nonsense, having to tell unlucky chefs to, “Pack your knives and go.” It turns out she's equally no-nonsense when it comes to the negative feedback she gets on social media, and after clapping back at online trolls who were offended by her nipples, Lakshmi made a strong statement in an underboob-baring gold bikini.
Padma Lakshmi isn’t afraid to show off her body, and that’s one reason that Sports Illustrated was proud to feature the Emmy winner as one of its 2023 swimsuit models. The Top Chef host absolutely glowed in a gold bikini pic Sports Illustrated shared on Instagram and she got a little cheeky kneeling in some water. She also captioned a second look at the picture with the amusing comment, "Good morning."
The gold coins that form the top of Padma Lakshmi’s bikini could rival the tortilla chip-sized micro-bikini offered by Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS line in terms of coverage, and I just love how confident Lakshmi is at 52 years old.
It’s hard to believe that she would have haters online, but she’s actually faced quite a bit of backlash for some of her posts. A recent snap of her “bath picnic” had people criticizing her about her content becoming “sexualized,” and wondering what her daughter thinks of her posting bathtub pics. Padma Lakshmi had a message for the naysayers, telling Page Six at the TIME 100 Gala:
I have boobs, I have nipples! So does every woman and man on the planet. I think we should just be a little more grown-up about it and also just accept that a woman’s body is beautiful and … not totally perfect and stuff and filtered and everything.
I love this message from the Top Chef host, promoting the idea that women shouldn’t be ashamed of their bodies. Padma Lakshmi, who has a 13-year-old daughter, has spoken out a number of times when confronted by people who criticize her in regards to her body. In 2020 she faced backlash for posting cooking videos while not wearing a bra during the COVID quarantine. (And let’s be real, nobody was wearing a bra when we were all stuck at home.)
The Top Chef host also clapped back earlier this year, when her daughter — while filming her mom cooking — jokingly put her hand up to “censor” Padma Lakshmi’s breasts. Lakshmi joked: “Censoring my boobs? You ate off those boobs for a good year and a half.” But people online took it seriously, accusing her of making her daughter feel uncomfortable. She said the haters can pack that negative attitude and go, responding:
First if [sic] all it’s a JOKE. And my daughter isn’t uncomfortable with me or my boobs or my posts, nor does she read these comments unless I show her because she isn’t on social media. It’s really not that serious folks.
In a world that struggles to accept women’s bodies, I love to see people like Padma Lakshmi speaking out against the hate and continuing to feel comfortable in her own skin. You can see Lakshmi in action on Top Chef, which airs at 9 p.m. ET Thursdays on Bravo. Also be sure to check out our 2023 TV schedule to see what premieres are coming soon.
