Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

'I was afraid': Padma Lakshmi opens up about marriage with Rushdie

The former couple was married from 2004 to 2007.

'I was afraid': Padma Lakshmi opens up about marriage with Rushdie

During her appearance on Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace? on Max and CNN this weekend, Padma Lakshmi opened up about her former marriage with Salman Rushdie and said that she was afraid for her life every day while she was married to the celebrated yet controversial author.

For those not in the know, Rushdie received a barrage of threats of violence following the publication of his 1988 novel The Satanic Verses.


A fatwah demanding his execution was issued on Valentine's Day 1989 by Ayatollah Khomeini, the then-Supreme leader of Iran, who called the book “blasphemous against Islam.”

"I would be lying if I said, I didn't think about those things. I did think about the fatwah every day of my life, I couldn't not think about it," Lakshmi told Wallace. “But what I thought about more was very deep love between us. And that made me not afraid because I was with the man I loved. And I thought that was where it should be.”

The 54-year-old revealed that her family was against her getting married to Rushdie at first, however, gradually into the relationship, “they also really grew to love Salman.” "And that's really what I hope propels all of my important decisions," she added.

The former couple was married for three years from 2004 to 2007.

Also offering an update on Rushdie’s condition after he was stabbed at a literary event last year, Lakshmi said, "He is healing beautifully, valiantly. Like everyone else, when I heard about it, it catapulted me right back to things that I hadn't thought about for a very long time.”

Stay tuned to this space for more updates!

More For You

Steven Spielberg Jaws career

Steven Spielberg revisits the turbulent shoot of Jaws five decades later

Getty Images

Steven Spielberg reveals ‘Jaws’ nearly sank his career as ocean shoot spiralled into chaos

Highlights:

  • Director marks 50 years of Jaws with new exhibition in Los Angeles
  • Reveals how shooting at sea left crew seasick and production over budget
  • Says he feared being fired during delays caused by malfunctioning mechanical sharks
  • Jaws went on to earn £192 million (₹2,301 crore as of 12 Sep 2025) and redefine the summer blockbuster

As the 50th anniversary of Jaws is celebrated, director Steven Spielberg has reflected on the chaotic making of the thriller, describing how the troubled shoot pushed him to the brink of thinking his career was finished. Speaking at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, where a new exhibition is opening to mark the milestone, Spielberg said the filming of the mechanical shark epic left him convinced he would “never get hired again”.

Steven Spielberg Jaws career Steven Spielberg revisits the turbulent shoot of Jaws five decades later Getty Images

Keep ReadingShow less
Margot Robbie thong look

Margot Robbie’s thong and Dakota Johnson’s sheer Gucci prove naked dressing is ruling 2025 red carpets

Getty Images

Margot Robbie bares all in thong look while Dakota Johnson stuns in sheer Gucci as naked dressing takes over

Highlights:

  • Margot Robbie revealed a bedazzled thong beneath a sheer Armani Privé gown at a London premiere.
  • Dakota Johnson attended Kering’s Caring for Women gala in New York in a floral-embroidered sheer Gucci dress.
  • The two separate outings in different cities fuelled the naked dressing conversation across red carpets.
  • The trend of sheer, lingerie-inspired couture continues to dominate major events in 2025.

Margot Robbie bares her butt in one high-profile moment while Dakota Johnson made headlines for a separate sheer Gucci look, but the two were not at the same event. Robbie returned to the red carpet in London wearing a sheer Armani Privé couture gown that exposed a bedazzled thong, while Johnson attended Kering’s Caring for Women gala in New York in a see-through Gucci dress embroidered with floral motifs. Together, the appearances proved how naked dressing like sheer fabrics and lingerie silhouettes is shaping this year’s red carpet conversations across different cities.

Margot Robbie thong look Margot Robbie’s thong and Dakota Johnson’s sheer Gucci prove naked dressing is ruling 2025 red carpets Getty Images

Keep ReadingShow less
Hotel London

A still from Hotel London showing the Bangladeshi family navigating life in a temporary hotel room

Forgotten 1987 film 'Hotel London' returns in 4K exposing Britain’s housing crisis and sidelined South Asian migrant lives

Highlights:

  • Newly restored 4K version to debut at the festival on 16 October
  • Part of BFI National Archive’s ambitious Black and South Asian Workshop remasters project
  • Explores 1980s London housing crisis and South Asian migrant experience
  • Marks a cultural milestone for Retake Film and Video Collective, Britain’s first all-Asian film collective

The long-overlooked 1987 drama Hotel London is set for a fresh spotlight as its 4K remaster world premieres at the upcoming BFI London Film Festival. Spearheaded by the BFI National Archive, the restoration forms part of a major project honouring the groundbreaking Black and South Asian Workshop movement, which redefined British screen culture in the 1980s. The film, directed by Ahmed Alauddin Jamal, vividly portrays the harsh realities of London’s housing crisis while centring the South Asian immigrant experience.

Hotel London A still from Hotel London showing the Bangladeshi family navigating life in a temporary hotel room www.easterneye.biz

Keep ReadingShow less
Priyanka Chopra Mindy Kaling NYFW 2025

Priyanka Chopra Jonas commands NYFW 2025 front row with Mindy Kaling as Nick Jonas looks on proudly

Getty Images

New York Fashion Week 2025: Priyanka Chopra Jonas stuns in sheer skirt at NYFW as Mindy Kaling gets candid on her immigrant roots

Highlights:

  • Power couple attend Ralph Lauren’s showcase at Madison Avenue
  • Priyanka dazzles in sheer skirt and structured blazer ensemble
  • Nick opts for earthy brown tailored look with relaxed flair
  • The duo join a star-studded front row including Oprah Winfrey and Jessica Chastain

Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Nick Jonas commanded attention as they attended Ralph Lauren’s New York Fashion Week 2025 show on 10 September. Arriving hand-in-hand on Madison Avenue, the pair stopped for photographers before entering the designer’s headquarters. Their appearance at the high-profile event was one of the evening’s most talked-about moments, with Priyanka’s daring outfit and Nick’s understated elegance sparking admiration from fans and onlookers.

Priyanka Chopra Mindy Kaling NYFW 2025 Priyanka Chopra Jonas commands NYFW 2025 front row with Mindy Kaling as Nick Jonas looks on proudly Getty Images

Keep ReadingShow less
Tamannaah Bhatia

Tamannaah Bhatia opens up about her unique mental trick to tackle sexism in Indian cinema

Getty Images

Tamannaah Bhatia reveals a saree trick she used to fight male dominance in Bollywood and South cinema

Highlights:

  • Tamannaah Bhatia reveals her unique mental trick to handle sexism in the film industry
  • The Baahubali star opens up on her two-decade journey across South Indian and Bollywood films
  • She now headlines Amazon Prime Video’s Do You Wanna Partner opposite Diana Penty
  • Bhatia stresses that women must bring ideas forward rather than worry about pleasing others

Tamannaah Bhatia has shared an unusual but powerful way of dealing with sexism in the entertainment industry. Speaking about her rise in South Indian and Bollywood films, the Baahubali actor said she would often use a mental trick, imagining men in sarees or glamorous outfits, whenever someone tried to undermine her. This candid revelation about navigating gender bias comes as she fronts Amazon Prime Video’s new series Do You Wanna Partner, co-starring Diana Penty.

Tamannaah Bhatia Tamannaah Bhatia opens up about her unique mental trick to tackle sexism in Indian cinema Getty Images

Keep ReadingShow less