Padma Lakshmi is a famous celebrity chef and judge who has appeared on several cookery shows. She started her career as a model and actress but gained widespread fame and recognition for her cooking stints in shows like Planet Food, Domenica In, Top Chef Taste the Nation, and more. Padma was born in India but later shifted to the US, where she pursued further studies.
Besides Padma Lakshmi's professional achievements, one thing that has constantly been in the news is her romantic relationships. Padma had a string of affairs with successful and popular men. From having a short-lived marriage with Salman Rushdie to a custody battle of her daughter and the tragic passing away of the love of her life, Padma has seen her fair share of ups and downs in life.
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In 1999, Padma Lakshmi first met Indian-British novelist, Salman Rushdie, and the duo dated for more than half a decade. After dating for a few years, the duo tied the knot in 2004 but soon called it quits after three years. Their separation was not smooth, as they both blamed each other for the ugly separation. Salman accused Padma of using her debilitating diagnosis as an excuse to avoid him and not being able to share the fame with him. Meanwhile, in her memoir, the latter shared how painful the accusations were for her.
After her split with Salman in 2009, Padma was linked to Theodore Forstmann, also known as Teddy. The businessman was over two decades older than Padma, but the latter was convinced that she wanted to spend her life with him. At that time, Padma was also dating her future beau, Adam Dell, the founder of the popular computer manufacturing company, Dell Inc.
Soon, Padma became pregnant with her daughter, Krishna, but she was unsure who the father was. This raised much scrutiny as media houses started to investigate the matter. Padma decided that she would build a family with Forstman, but a paternity test revealed that Adam was the father of her daughter. Adam and Padma got embroiled in a bitter custody battle, and amid all this, Teddy Forstman passed away after being diagnosed with cancer.
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Although, it was proved that Teddy wasn't the father of Krishna, the former left a trust fund of USD 2 million for the little girl. After Teddy's death, Padma had an on and off relationship with Adam for years. Talking about her separation from Adam, Padma said:
"It probably wasn't the best choice, but it was the choice that I made at the time. I didn't want to be in a serious relationship. I was still really hurting from my divorce. I probably shouldn't have been with anybody and just taken the time I needed for myself. But I was presented with two very different, very interesting men. Men do it all the time. I chose to do it, and I was open with the men involved."
After her heartbreak from Teddy's death, Padma dated Pretty Woman actor, Richard Gere for only months. Later, she got embroiled in a whirlwind romance with Terrance Hayes, an award-winning poet. The duo was spotted kissing in New York. However, their relationship did not even last a year, and the duo called it quits.
Padma Lakshmi had quite a turbulent life with many ups and downs, but she never gave up. Padma is currently focusing on her career and her daughter, Krishna.
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