Padma Lakshmi’s Daughter, 15, Says She’s Ready to Be ‘Taken Seriously’

Padma Lakshmi‘s daughter is ready to make a name for herself.

During a conversation with Vogue India, the Top Chef alum, 55, and her daughter, Krishna, 15, spoke about their tight-knit relationship and their ambitions. The teen, whom Lakshmi welcomed in February 2010, shared her aspirations as a budding musician and actor, adding that she wants to be “taken seriously” and known for something outside of her mom.

“I want to be taken seriously,” the teenager told the outlet. “I would like to do something that’s centered around who I am right now, not who I am as Littlehands. My hands—they aren’t so little anymore.”

The mother-duo also sat down for a game of “Tell the Truth” with the outlet, where they got candid about whether they “silently” judge each other’s outfits. 

“We go by the five-second rule. If the other person can’t change [their outfit] in five seconds and [the comment] is negative, don’t say it. But before we leave the house, we’re pretty brutal with each other,” admitted Krishna. “I will be like, ‘You can’t wear that in public with me.'”

Lakshmi then revealed that her teen is “always telling me to dress more provocatively” — only for Krishna to reveal that her mom tells her the opposite.

On Thursday, Feb. 20, the cookbook author shared a heartwarming tribute on Instagram, celebrating her daughter Krishna’s 15th birthday. In the post, she included a series of videos and photos throughout the years, including a home video of them cooking together and a snap of them at a museum.

The proud mom also shared a picture of Krishna during one of her earlier birthdays, as she smiled at Lakshmi with a small circular cake that read “Happy Birthday Krishna” in front of her and a more recent photo of her cutting into her own birthday cake.

“Littlehands is getting bigger!!! 15!!!!!!!!,” she wrote in the caption. “I can’t believe it. Every day of the last 15 years has been an adventure. Happy birthday Krishna Thea. I love you once, I love you twice, I love you more than beans and rice. ❤️❤️❤️.”

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In mid-January, Lakshmi couldn’t resist trying out TikTok’s “Suspect Challenge” trend with her teen. The Taste the Nation host shared an Instagram Reel of herself and her daughter Krishna having fun with the trend. The pair exchanged jokes and laughs, as they ran away from the camera like suspects.

“I was never one to jump on a trend, fashion or otherwise. Which is why I rarely do these TikTok trends, but this one was really fun to film with Littlehands,” Lakshmi wrote in her caption, affectionately calling her daughter by her nickname.

“I can’t believe she outed me for laughing so hard I peed a little,” she continued. “It happens sometimes, please don’t judge!! It’ll happen to you one day too, if you’re lucky enough to laugh this much with your kids!”