2023 SI Swimsuit Model Padma Lakshmi Takes a Stand Against Body Shaming Trolls

The TV host and best-selling author was named one of ‘The Most 100 Influential People of 2023’ by ‘TIME.’

Padma Lakshmi.Santiago Felipe/Getty Images

Padma Lakshmi is a force to be reckoned with. The TV personality, New York Times best-selling author, philanthropist and mom is also SI Swimsuit’s newest model. 

Though she’s earned her success along the way, even Lakshmi, 52, faces negative commentary from the occasional internet troll. Lakshmi was included in TIME’s “The Most 100 Influential People of 2023” list, and spoke to Page Six about dealing with negative feedback at last week’s TIME100 Gala. She recently shared a photo of herself eating pasta in the bathtub that particularly garnered nasty comments.

“You know, when you put yourself out there on an open public forum, you have to expect all kinds of reactions,” the Love, Loss, and What We Ate author stated. “I have boobs, I have nipples, so does every woman and man on the planet, I’m sorry. And I think, you know, we should just be a little bit more grown up about it and also just accept that a woman’s body is beautiful.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bravo Top Chef (@bravotopchef)

Lakshmi went on to share that she feels more comfortable in her skin now that she’s in her 50s than she did in her 20s, a concept she discussed further in her interview with SI Swimsuit.

“It’s because of my experiences, my learning and just being out in the world,” she stated. “People are more interesting as they become who they’re going to be as they age. I feel more beautiful now than I did when I was a model in my 20s. I probably looked more beautiful then, but I feel much more beautiful now.”

Meet Padma Lakshmi—read the 2023 SI Swimsuit model’s full feature profile here.

Make sure to follow SI Lifestyle in Google News!