Padma Lakshmi reflects on surviving sexual abuse in personal note to self

“Top Chef” host Padma Lakshmi shares her personal journey in a letter to her 5-year-old self. As a young girl, she emigrated to the U.S. from southern India. She went on to study at Clark University, earning a degree in theater arts and eventually becoming a supermodel and actor. In her note, Lakshmi opens up about the deeply personal challenges she faced from adolescence to adulthood.