'Taste the Nation': How a car accident left Padma Lakshmi with a shattered right arm and seven-inch scar
Born Padma Parvati Lakshmi Vaidynathan, professionally called Padma Lakshmi, the star is not only an American cookbook author but also an actress, model, TV host and philanthropist. Known most popularly as the host of Bravo series, 'Top Chef' Lakshmi has made a name for herself as a professional foodie. The author has made headlines for various things, one of which included her high-profile relationship to author Salman Rushdie which resulted in a lot more than love lost while another was her memoir 'Love, Loss and What We Ate' for which the hype refused to die down for a while.
Being part of Hollywood's limelight puts a harsh perspective of outsiders on one's life, and Lakshmi was no exception. As she continued to soar professionally, they were numerous pictures that showcased the beauty, but some fans raised questions on what Lakshmi refused to hide — a scar on her right arm.
An article from Heavy reported that Lakshmi was involved in a car crash at the age of 14 which left her with a fractured right hip and a shattered right arm. The publication further revealed that the model feared jobs in the modeling industry and felt self-conscious as she attempted to lighten the scar with "painful" treatments such as chemical dermabrasion.
Now, the actress doesn't hide or cover her scar and told Bravo's Daily Dish, "I love my scar, it is so much a part of me. I'm not sure I would remove it even if a doctor could wave a magic wand and delete it from my arm. The scar has singled me out and made me who I am." In a 2001 essay Lakshmi had written in Vogue, she revealed that at the time of the accident she was with her parents in the car returning from a Hindu temple in Malibu when the accident had taken place.
"There was a loud bang, and I looked out the windshield and saw nothing but the prettiest blue sky… Our red Ford Mercury sedan was airborne," said Lakshmi. " We were in the air for what seemed like a very long time, flying off the freeway and 40 feet down an embankment. We hit a tree dead-on and it stopped our fall. Blood, glass, dirt and leaves were everywhere. We seemed to have been buried alive. The tree trunk had fallen directly on top of our car. I remained conscious, covered in glass, for the 40 minutes it took for paramedics and firefighters to get through traffic."
Lakshmi also spoke of the injuries that she had sustained in the unfortunate crash revealing, "A helicopter landed in the middle of the highway to take my parents away. An ambulance carried me to the hospital. I finally passed out. When I woke up hours later, I had tubes coming out of several places in my body. My right arm had been shattered and my right hip had been fractured. After surgery, I regained the use of both of them but was left with a long scar on my arm. It was half an inch wide and seven inches long."
She continued, "I wished I’d had a conversation with the doctor and asked him to cut on the underside of the arm instead, where the scar would have been hidden… When I first got the scar, I was self-conscious about it. I perfected a casual pose that hid it under my left hand and thumb when my arms were crossed. But I also knew my scar was a symbol of my survival. The surgery that put it there had saved my arm.” While she had initially tried her best to hide her scar, Lakshmi now wears it with pride, "My body is a blueprint of my life, of every tragedy — emotional or physical," Lakshmi had told Vogue India.
The cookbook author seems to have gone through several heartbreaking experiences in her life including her marriage to Rushdie and her battle with endometriosis. But, if you're a fan you would have noticed that the woman has let nothing hold her back. Now, as she continues to advocate for women with endometriosis, she has also embraced her struggles making her a retable idol for many looking to walk the career path she did. Get ready for the new Bravo series, 'Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi' where the foodie explores food and it's a connection to human history and identity.
Hulu's official synopsis reads, "In 'Taste the Nation', award-winning cookbook author, host and executive producer Padma Lakshmi, takes audiences on a journey across America, exploring the rich and diverse food culture of various immigrant groups, seeking out the people who have so heavily shaped what American food is today. From indigenous communities to recent immigrant arrivals, Padma breaks bread with Americans across the nation to uncover the roots and relationship between our food, our humanity and our history – ultimately revealing stories that challenge notions of identity, belonging, and what it means to be American."
Watch the trailer below:
Catch all episodes of 'Taste the Nation With Padma Lakshmi' on June 19 on Hulu.