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The Salman Rushdie and Padma Lakshmi relationship: Marriage and divorce, to friendship now

Ayaan PaulAugust 17, 2022 | 10:05 IST

Days after writer Salman Rushdie was attacked in New York, his ex-wife, Indian-American writer and model Padma Lakshmi took to Twitter to wish him a speedy recovery.

The Satanic Verses writer has been recuperating from multiple stab wounds inflicted upon him  by a 24-year-old New Jersey resident identified as Hadi Matar on Friday, at a literary event in the Chautauqua Institution in New York.

Lakshmi heaved a breath of relief in her tweet,

In an interview with People, Lakshmi recounts how she was awestruck when she first met the author in 1999. 

“Imagine a young woman in her twenties, who loves books and who had published her little cookbook and in comes this guy. I mean, he was the best thing that ever happened to me by a mile. The fact that somebody of that stature and caliber was even interested remotely enough in me to want to take me to lunch was kind of unbelievable.”
- Padma Lakshmi in an interview with People
Rushdie with Lakshmi in 2000: Getty Images

The couple hit it off after their first date in Central Park, following which they moved in together in 2000.  

Lakshmi and Rushdie at the Cannes Film Festival 2004: Getty Images

Rushdie had been married four times in the past, the first of which was with the literature officer of the Arts Council of England, Clarissa Luard, from 1976 to 1987, with whom he fathered a son Zafar in 1979.

Zafar and Salman Rushdie: Getty Images

In between wives, he left Luard in the mid-1980s for the Australian writer Robyn Davidson, to whom he was introduced by their mutual friend Bruce Chatwin.

Robyn Davidson: Getty Images

His second wife was the American novelist Marianne Wiggins; they were married in 1988 and divorced in 1993.

Marianne Wiggins: Getty Images

 British editor and author Elizabeth West was Rushdie’s third wife, with whom he fathered a son, Milan in 1997.

Elizabeth West with Salman Rushdie and their son Miilan: Getty Images

Finally in 2004, he married the Top Chef host, having dated the model for five years while still married to Elizabeth West.

Lakshmi recalls having the most wonderful first couple years married to the author, owing to their shared Indian heritage. 

Lakshmi and Rushdie at the Fellowship of the Ring premiere in 2001 : Getty Images

Soon cracks began to surface between the two which Lakshmi ascribes to her undiagnosed endometriosis. The painful condition led to a lack of physical intimacy between the two and left Rushdie claiming he’d made a “bad investment”

Lakshmi at an Endometriosis Foundation of America event: Getty Images

Lakshmi has since  co-founded the Endometriosis Foundation of America to raise awareness about the severity of the condition. 

“Endometriosis was definitely a major reason that my marriage failed and I don’t think either of us understood it at the time. I think that’s also because I hid it to a certain degree, not intentionally but you know, it’s weird to talk about your period all the time. It’s like the least sexy thing in the world to do.”
- Padma Lakshmi in an interview with People

Lakshmi and Rushdie have maintained their friendship despite the split these many years.

Lakshmi and Rushdie walk along Madison Avenue: Getty Images

Rushdie has been taken off the ventilator but remains under critical care and is undergoing extensive medical treatment for his injuries.

Last updated: August 17, 2022 | 10:05
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