Top Chef hostess Padma Lakshmi is pregnant! Oh, my mother will be thrilled. Padma’s rep announced Padma’s happy news to Us Weekly, also explaining how this pregnancy is a “miracle” because of her years-long struggle with endometriosis. The official statement makes it seem very miraculous, and I’m very happy for Padma – she seems like a nice enough person. What’s interesting is that the official statement is so busy talking about Padma’s fertility issues that there’s totally no mention of a baby-daddy. Scandal!
Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi is pregnant, her rep confirms to Usmagazine.com exclusively.
“Model, author, and Emmy-nominated Padma Lakshmi confirms that she is carrying her first child after years of struggling with endometriosis, a cause for which she has co-founded the Endometriosis Foundation of America,” the rep tells Us of Lakshmi, 39.
“As a result of her condition, this pregnancy has been referred to by her physician as nothing short of a medical miracle, and due to its delicate nature, we ask/implore the press to respect Ms. Lakshmi’s privacy at this time,” the rep continues.
Endometriosis is a medical condition in which the uterus’ lining grows in other areas of the body, causing pain, irregular bleeding and possible infertility.
The baby’s father has not been revealed. Online reports have falsely named Manu Nathan as the dad, but her rep says he’s Lakshmi’s cousin.
Lakshmi split from novelist Salman Rushdie in 2007 after three years of marriage. She won the Best First Book award for her first cookbook, Easy Exotic, at the 1999 World Cookbook Awards in Versailles, France. Her second cook book, Tangy, Tart, Hot and Sweet, was released in October 2007.
She hosted the Food Network series, Padma’s Passport, in 2001. She’s also guest hosted on British show Planet Food.
[From Us Weekly]
I was all prepared to start a rumor that the baby-daddy could be Padma’s ex Salman Rushdie. But I did some extensive research (I googled “Padma Lakshmi boyfriend”) and found that she’s had a couple of boyfriends since divorcing Salman, and either of them could be an interesting guess for baby-daddy. This past January, I’m Not Obsessed had photos of Padma and 69-year-old Ted Forstmann, billionaire CEO of IMG – apparently, they began dating as soon as the ink was dry on her divorce papers (spring of 2008) and may have ended their relationship sometime this spring. Maybe? Ace Showbiz and Just Jared have her “current boyfriend” as Manu Nathanan, described as “an attorney at talent agency IMG”. Manu is also 27 years old to Padma’s 39. Manu is my guess, actually. One thing’s for sure – that baby will eat well!
UPDATE: Whoops, I missed the part about Manu being her cousin. Guess the baby-daddy is still in the air, then!
Here’s Padma at the Emmys on September 20th. Images thanks to Fame Pictures and WENN.com .
ewww Emmy’s weather does bad things to their pits. Hot mess!
Happy for her though!
Since the article you referenced has her rep saying that Manu is her cousin, let’s hope he’s not the dad.
Yeah the “skinny arm” pose needs to die. The skinny arm isn’t worth the arm pits that look like they are eating themselves.
She has such a great figure but needs a good stylist stat! I never see her dressed cute.
wow that dress is the ugliest thing ive seen today. so what theyre saying is she is shes not sure who the father is lol.. nice. or maybe hes another old crusty guy. even better.
Dagnabit. I wanted to make a joke based on the headline about a miraculous pregnancy and mysterious father… but knowing that she suffers from endometriosis, my funny just up and died. Good luck to her; that’s a brutal condition.
@ melissa – gee, we’re feeling a little judgy today, huh? Maybe what they’re saying is that she doesn’t HAVE TO TELL YOU, not that she doesn’t know. And the ageism – it looks beautiful on you.
I was distracted by the dress…sorry, I forgot to add: Congrats and many blessings
Good for her, I hope it goes well and all are healthy.
happy for her.
If she was suffering from endo she might have been having fertility treatments rather than just unprotected sex… so the dad might never be known..
What great news! I thought she was looking heavier than usual at the Emmy’s. Now it makes sense. Padma is such a beauty. I have an aunt who has endometriosis and has never had a child. It’s been a sad topic for her, but she has managed to have a happy life with a wonderful husband. Yay for Padma!!
I am so curious as to who the daddy is. I know he’s married, but I would love to see her with Anthony Bourdain….don’t ask me why…I just think they’d be great together. Maybe I saw it somewhere (NY Post?) that they dated after her separation from Salman. Anybody remember?
Maybe the baby-daddy is a sperm donor? Who knows and who really cares so long as she’s happy.
How adorable is her mom though? (if that is her mom….certainly looks like it would be or another family member)
Madelyn Rose – Anthony is married to a gorgeous woman of Italian descent and she has a MUCH better sense of style than Padma. And although it doesn’t appear that she is a chef she knows food, as portrayed on a recent episode of No Reservations. They have a young daughter together that appears to be gifted with height advantage.
I have to add that Padma almost made me stop watching Top Chef. She was talking through her nose so much and delivering her lines with such a bored, insipid attitude three seasons ago that she was the worst part of the show and ruined it for me. I think others felt the same way and I think she has had someone coach her on her delivery. Thank God! But she is not all that and a bag of chips. I just can’t seem to like her much. However, I am truly happy that she has been able to conceive.
ForSooth,
Hahahaha! I know what you mean.
I always figured she talked that way because she was stoned out of her mind. That would explain why such a skinny thing could hoover down food like a linebacker.
She talks weird. Like she wants to hide her teeth. It bothers me.
Other than that, congrats.
Typical hollywood behaviour. Have a bastard child.
She currently tops my “Why are you famous?” list, right before Paris Hilton and the entire cast of The Hills.
“She currently tops my “Why are you famous?” list, right before Paris Hilton and the entire cast of The Hills.”
She famous because she actually did some work that gave her enough credibility to host Top Chef and I think she’s great!
Awesome news for her about baby, don’t see why baby father’s identity is for public consumption, unless it was Tom whatshisname, now that would be gossip worthy, otherwise, meh.
Bet it’s Marc Dacascos!
She famous because she actually did some work that gave her enough credibility to host Top Chef and I think she’s great!
Care to site this fabulous body of work that secured her the awesome task of being little more than the TV equivalent of a Wal-mart door greeter?
Her armpit looks like it has a goiter. Her only claim to fame is being married to Rushdie – that is how her cookbooks were published and how she landed TV spots.
I don’t know her other than being Salmans ex and the cookbooks, but wasn’t she also a model at some point?
Padma Laxmi is NOT a nice person. I’ve seen her at plenty of restaraunts here in NYC and all i can tell you is that she is the biggest, most demanding bitch ever.
Not only that but her “cookbooks” are totally laughable. I’m a huge foodie and absolutely love to cook and when i read her books, i noticed her Indian “original’ recipes were nothing but old recipes EVERY indian person knows from their childhood. She didn’t exactly reinvent the wheel here.
And i think she’s overrated and has done little to deserve being the host on a cooking show. Aside from being a sub-par model (i know PLENTY of other indian women who are tons prettier, smarter and more qualified), marrying rushdie, divorcing rushdie and acting like a foodie (when really her recipes are shite), she really hasn’t done a lot more. I think she’s the oddest person out on that show since she really doesn’t have the credibility to be busting others’ chops about their food.
She just seems so boring, bored and w/o personality.
She was a replacement for Katie lee, Billy joel’s model wife, who did not have much of a food background herself – hired more for her looks. She was a terrible host and Padma is a huge improvement over her. Also I like Padma’s dress – but why is her mother wearing such an ugly plain sari?? I don’t get it. I wear fancier saris going to events at people’s houses – she’s on the red carpet!! Geez.
She just bugs me…period. On Top Chef she tries to be knowledgeable about food and she has no clue…who died and made her the food critic of the decade??
I have a strong feeling its Michael Voltaggio….watch the episode where they are at the train station..Napa Valley, as she gets off the train…everyone says “congratulations”..closely watch Bryan and Michael….its definately michael
god–such harsh, mean-spirited comments! i’m sooooooo happy for padma.
she must be doing something right…she has haters! LOL
grow up, ladies, please. endometriosis is an awful condition. padma has been richly blessed.
How come the whole world is full of hate and anger, even though I didn’t know much about this lady but hearing her going through this horrible disease is enough to let her be and rejoice with her and her bundle of joy. God bless her and her little angel.