Aging in Hollywood has been a prominent and important conversation amongst celebrities recently, with women like Demi Moore pointing out how getting older is a “tremendous gift.” Tracee Ellis Ross is the latest to celebrate that blessing with some bikini photos, and her post was met with overwhelming praise — particularly from Padma Lakshmi, and I can’t get over the former Top Chef host’s eight-word response.
Tracee Ellis Ross turned 53 this week, on October 29, and she posted a “retrospective” to Instagram that showed her sporting swimsuits throughout her years, including some cute snaps from her childhood. Check them out below:
It certainly says something that I can’t tell the 2025 pics from the years that came before! Those who clicked all the way through the bikini album were treated to a wonderfully silly dance in the final slide, with the actress showing off her comedic side.
Many people jumped into the comments to wish Tracee Ellis Ross a happy birthday, and I’m absolutely dying over what Padma Lakshmi had to say:
Gurl! You were born to wear very little!!!🥳😍🔥🎂🎈🎉🎊❤️
What a compliment, right? And I certainly won’t be saying anything to the contrary. I love how confident the Black-ish star is in her body, which is something we’ve been seeing more and more with women who are thriving in their 50s.
In fact, Padma Lakshmi herself celebrated the big 5-0 back in 2020 by posting photos from the beach, where she frolicked in a fuchsia bikini. (She hasn’t stopped since then, either, posing for Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue in 2023 and continued proving that age is just a number in a bright pink swimsuit earlier this summer.)
Tracee Ellis Ross is definitely in good company, with Jennifer Lopez celebrating 54 in her skivvies, Danica Patrick polar-plunging for her 50th birthday in cute red swimwear, and Sofia Vergara being a divine vision in a white bikini for her 53rd trip around the sun. We can’t forget about Halle Berry, either, who seems to be living her best life as she celebrates her 59 years.
Others who showed up in the Girlfriends star’s comments included:
- Janelle Monae: 😍😍😍Birthday babe !!!! Happy happy !!!!
- Quinta Brunson: Happy birthday Tracee!
- Natasha Lyonne: 52nd! HBD, Queen!♥️♥️
- Deon Cole: Happy birthday hot sauce
- Cardi B: Happy birthday!! ❤️❤️
- Marsai Martin: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMA T
Honestly, the list goes on and on with well-wishes also coming from Tika Sumpter, Raheem DeVaughn, Keisha Lance Bottoms, Nathalie Emmanuel, Nia Long and more. Andy Cohen even weighed in with an idea for her next step:
🔥🔥🔥 happy birthday. Now do Sports Illustrated!
I second that motion, and I imagine Padma Lakshmi would also love to see Tracee Ellis Ross follow in her footsteps in that way.
If you want to celebrate the birthday girl by revisiting some of her most beloved on-screen projects, Girlfriends is available to stream with a Netflix subscription, and Black-ish (as well as its spinoffs) is streaming with a Hulu subscription.
