Gail Simmons, who fans will know well from Bravo‘s long-running show “Top Chef,” has recently been spotted wearing glasses. What viewers might not have realized is that she’s also been sporting some extra makeup for the same reason, which has nothing to do with her eyesight. Instead, it turns out that the food expert has suffered what People called a “gnarly” injury to her face, which left a pretty brutal mark.
Gail Wore ‘Prosthetic Makeup’ to Cover Her Injury
GettySimmons took to Instagram on Saturday, April 4, to share two photos of herself in a post (which, unfortunately, won’t embed — sorry!). In the first image, she can be seen on set in her professional mode while wearing glasses. The second pic is a close-up of the star’s face, which is both scratched up and bruised around her eye, down her cheek and across her nose.
“This is a makeup and wardrobe appreciation post. 💗,” Simmons wrote in the caption of her post. “Lots of people asking about the glasses I wore on the last 2 episodes of @bravotopchef, assuming they were for reading. I actually wear contacts and both are 100% clear lenses, worn as an accessory only.”
“Here’s why: just 48 hrs before we shot episode 3, I tripped on a high sidewalk (no idea how!) and fell face-first into a boulder,” she explained. “No joke. It’s a miracle I didn’t break my nose, crush my cheekbone, or cause serious damage to my eye.”
“After a doctor examined me and determined it was just bad bruising, @tarapagliara and @charlotterose_style sprang into action to make sure the show could go on, finding heavy-duty prosthetic makeup and the right glasses to cover it all up for camera,” the star continued. “It healed within 2 weeks but I’ve never been more grateful to these two pros for their support and smarts. The wildest part is that even most of our crew couldn’t tell.”
Gail’s Fans Sent Their Support
GettySimmons’ post prompted plenty of comments from her followers, with one person writing, “CRAZY! I’m so glad you’re ok! The glasses are too cute though! High 5 with the face art! 🙌🏽”
“Wow. Glad you are okay and didn’t do more damage. ❤️,” another person added.
A third fan wrote, “Wow! I was spying those glasses tho! Glad you’re safe!”
“Gail!! Scary but glad you’re ok. Looks painful but wow makeup can do wonders,” came from another social media user.
Actress Melanie Lynskey also left a comment, saying, “I am so sorry!! But it says a lot about how kind you are that you had this painful accident and your post is all about shouting out the work and talent of other people 💕💕💕”
