‘SALMAN MUST’VE FELT HUMILIATED’
Author Salman Rushdie’s ex-wife, Padma Lakshmi reacts to his bitter memoir for the first time
Top-model-turnedcelebrity-host Padma Lakshmi has broken her silence on controversial author and ex-husband Salman Rushdie’s explicit memoir that doesn’t speak too well of her. His latest book, Joseph Anton, has a detailed description of their eightyear-relationship that ended in 2007. Parts of it recount, “she (Lakshmi) was ambitious in a way that often obliterated feeling,” and, “she was capable of saying things of such majestic narcissism that he didn’t know whether to bury his head in his hands or applaud.” The 65-year-old goes on about her red carpet appearances ... “He watched her pose and pirouette for the human wall of screaming photographers, burning with the bright flame of her youth and beauty, he looked at the expression on her face and suddenly thought, she’s having sex, sex with hundreds of men at the same time.”
Lakshmi, in an interview to Caravan Style & Living magazine, says she’s not surprised. “You know you can’t blame somebody for being mad at you when you break up with them ... I forgive him for everything he’s written or said or felt, because I’m sure he was hurt immensely and I am sure he felt very embarrassed and humiliated that I did end the marriage,” says the 42-yearold. While it was reported that Rushdie had sought her permission before writing about her, she corrects, “The truth is that he and I had dinner a couple of times, and he said I was in it, and I asked him to show whatever pertained to me. At the time there wasn’t a manuscript, and he sent me a one-page email summarising parts about me. He didn’t ever show me the actual text.” Rushdie refused to comment on the matter.