Padma Lakshmi Wears a Gold Sequin Bikini for 'SI Swimsuit' : 'I Have Never Felt Better'
"I love where I am in my life and know my body is not perfect by any means, but I feel beautiful," said Lakshmi, 52
Padma Lakshmi is embracing her beauty.
On Tuesday, the former model and long-time Top Chef host unveiled photos from her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit story for the 2023 issue.
In the steamy photos, Lakshmi is wearing a teeny-tiny bikini made of shimmery gold sequins. She was photographed by Yu Tsai in Dominica.
Lakshmi opened up about beauty standards and the love she has for her body at 52.
"I want everybody to see this pictorial and understand that sometimes a whole new phase that's even more exciting than anything you've ever experienced before can happen well over 40," she said. "I love where I am in my life and know my body is not perfect by any means, but I feel beautiful. I feel like I have a very lucky, fruitful, productive life."
For Lakshmi, aging is a gift.
"My thighs may have been leaner, and my boobs were probably slightly higher in earlier parts of my life, but I have never felt better about myself. I hope they see a full woman in all my facets and nuances and some contradictions. I wouldn't go back to my 20s if you paid me all the money in the world," she told SI Swimsuit.
The Taste the Nation star shared her photos in a joint Instagram with SI Swimsuit. Her famous friends shared their love in the comments section, including Mindy Kaling who wrote, "I fainted." Tracee Ellis Ross commented four flame emojis, while Ashley Graham said, "Holy Hot Mama!!🤩🤩🤩."
"When we said this year would be filled with epic women who empower, inspire and use their platforms to be both seen and heard, we meant it," read the Instagram caption.
"Padma's list of accomplishments is as stunning as she is and it's an absolute honor to feature her in the 2023 issue," editor in chief MJ Day added in a statement. "The importance of Padma's presence here is multifold. She is here because she feels better than ever both inside and out. At 52, she has curated a life that represents who she authentically is: a powerful, beautiful, brilliant, accomplished woman in her prime. She can make the world look and listen and is here to remind us all that women can be all of these things and feel sexy AF."
When it comes to doing photoshoots in full glam and being a parent to her 13-year-old daughter Krishna, Lakshmi toes a fine line.
"I don't want her to put that much focus on what she looks like. I try to tell her that your appearance is one part of you. Beauty is skin deep, but dumb and boring are to the bone," she said.
Related:Padma Lakshmi Takes Daughter Krishna, 13, on Spring Break Trip to Paris — See All the Photos!
Last week, the Bravo star opened up to PEOPLE at the Time 100 gala about her opinion on the growing popularity of Ozempic, an FDA-approved prescription medication for people with type 2 diabetes. It's one of the brand names for semaglutide and tirzepatide — also known as Wegovy and Mounjaro — which works in the brain to impact satiety, and has been trending in Hollywood circles for weight loss.
"You gotta be careful what you do with your body," she said. "On Top Chef I eat a lot, and I understand the tendency. But also the pressure for women in media is much different than men in media. So we have to maybe look deeper to the reasons why, as a society, not just put it on the shoulders of the women who just want the same opportunity that men get."
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"We just want an equal shake," Lakshmi continued. "We have to look good, we have to sound good, we have to be strong but not too strong, we have to be vulnerable but not too weak. And it can feel like a really dichotomous, tall order."
"So, I think we have to be kinder to each other and to ourselves," added Lakshmi — whose award-winning travel and food docuseries Taste the Nation returns for season 2 on May 5.
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