The belief that Bravo princess Padma Lakshmi got special treatment at the shoot for the “Summer by Bravo” commercial brought out the long knives from her network rivals this week.
Other stars, including Kyle Richards, NeNe Leakes, Patti Stanger, Jill Zarin, Lisa Vanderpump and Kara DioGuardi arrived at 8 a.m. in Brooklyn to film the promo. Lakshmi popped in as scheduled three hours later. But when the culinary queen, with her makeup perfectly applied and hair blown out, brought an entourage of six to a private room and brushed past the others without a greeting, the women started to gossip.
Our source overheard one star hiss, “It takes a village to raise a child,” noting the entourage who formed a barricade around Padma’s dressing area and played with her 14-month-old daughter, Krishna.
A witness said, “They took all of the women’s bags that had been left in a dressing room and threw them into a hallway so Padma could sit separately with her baby in between shoots.”
But “Top Chef” judge and Lakshmi pal Gail Simmons told us, “We didn’t know a lot of the women [who were there]. It’s not like we work together on a regular basis. I met a lot of people on the set for the first time. It’s not like we’re holding hands and singing ‘Kumbaya.’
“I don’t think I spoke to most people, either,” Simmons said. “You are there to do a job. She [Padma] was with her child. I would think that anyone could understand that, and she’s still nursing, which is also not a public thing to do. What’s there to complain about? It’s not high school. We’re all professionals.”
“Millionaire Matchmaker” star Stanger added, “We all thought her baby was beautiful.” Another source noted that “Top Chef” is the highest-rated Bravo show and Lakshmi gets top-dog respect as an Emmy nominee.
A Bravo rep said there were no designated dressing rooms. And Padma’s rep sniped, “I think this is a nonsensical item from a ‘Housewife’ who is jealous. It’s going to make Padma look bad, and it’s just not true . . . she didn’t get any special treatment.”