“Top Chef”'s Gail Simmons Covers Up Gnarly Bruise with 'Heavy-Duty Prosthetic Makeup' After Hitting Face on Boulder

Michelle LeeMon, April 6, 2026 at 3:32 PM UTC

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Gail Simmons shows before and after of makeup used to cover up bruise from injuryCredit: Gail Simmons/Instagram -

Gail Simmons is sharing a glimpse at how she got ready to film Top Chef season 23

The judge revealed on Instagram that she suffered a fall and hit her face, which caused bruising that she needed to cover up for the show

In a new Instagram post, Simmons showed what her face looked like before and after makeup

Gail Simmons is getting candid about a little Hollywood magic.

For anyone wondering why there's been a change in the 49-year-old cookbook author's appearance on season 23 of Top Chef, she detailed exactly what happened in a new Instagram post.

In an update shared over the weekend, the television personality said 48 hours before filming episode 3, she suffered a blow to the face after tripping on a sidewalk and falling into a boulder, "no joke." That's why she's been wearing glasses.

"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," she began, before going into detail about her injury.

Gail Simmons' wearing makeup and glasses for 'Top Chef' bruising after suffering from fallCredit: Gail Simmons/Instagram

"It’s a miracle I didn’t break my nose, crush my cheekbone, or cause serious damage to my eye," she wrote, adding that the only damage done was "just bad bruising." Because the show had to go on, makeup artist Tara Pagliara and wardrobe stylist Charlotte Rose Coleman "sprang into action" to find "heavy-duty prosthetic makeup and the right glasses to cover it all up for camera."

Simmons said the bruising healed within two weeks and added, "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."

Her Instagram post included before-and-after photos with the first being a selfie of her touched-up face and the second showing the extent of her skin's discoloration.

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The star received well-wishes from the chef community, Carla Hall commenting, "CRAZY! I'm so glad you're ok! The glasses are too cute though! High 5 with the face art! 🙌🏽

Her co-star Tom Colicchio wrote, "Down but never out," while actress Melanie Lynskey added, "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."

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Gail Simmons at Walt Disney Company's Post-Emmys party on Sept. 15, 2024Credit: Disney/Stewart Cook

Top Chef's newest season premiered on March 9 and was filmed in North and South Carolina. Simmons has been a fixture of the show since it began in 2006 and has grown her family alongside her career on screen.

In a recent PEOPLE in 10 interview, she opened up about what it’s been like raising her and her husband Jeremy Abrams' two kids — daughter Dahlia, 12, and son Kole, 7 — while being on the Bravo series. “The coolest thing my kids have gotten to do is come to almost every single season we have shot since they've been alive,” Simmons said, adding all the ways her eldest has enjoyed the experience.

“She loves tasting all the food. She loves exploring every city, and she loves hanging out with Uncle Tom and Auntie KK [host Kristen Kish], cause who wouldn’t?”

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”