The 50-year-old Top Chef host was spotted locking lips with a mystery man in New York City on Monday, June 14, while walking her dog in New York City. Page Six later identified Lakshmi’s new flame as poet and MacArthur fellowship recipient Terrance Hayes. (Us Weekly has reached out to both parties for comment.)

Hayes, 49, is a professor of creative writing at New York University and previously worked as the poetry editor for New York Times Magazine from 2017 to 2018. He was a finalist for the National Book Award in 2015 and 2018 and won the prestigious honor in 2010 for a poetry collection titled Lighthead.

Lakshmi was previously married to Salman Rushdie for three years before their July 2007 split. She later sparked a romance with Dell, 51, with whom she shares 11-year-old daughter Krishna. In August 2020, the Taste the Nation host opened up about not having “a perfect balance” when it comes to coparenting with the venture capitalist.

“Every day is different,” she told Us exclusively, noting that Krishna will always be “the real star in the family.”

The Easy Exotic cookbook author gushed over her daughter’s creative spirit, adding, “She is wildly entertaining and funny and a great singer. … Krishna’s hysterical. I have to resist the temptation to put her on my social media all the time because I don’t think that’s right, but it’s hard because she’s really, genuinely funny!”

Lakshmi was first linked to Dell in 2009, one year before Krishna’s arrival. The duo have faced plenty of ups and downs over the years — including a custody dispute in 2012 — but appeared to rekindle their romance in 2017.

“They are closer than they’ve ever been this second time around and can be so honest with each other,” an insider told Us the following year. “It’s obvious Padma is very comfortable with him. They have a very close and loving relationship.”

While she tends to keep much of her love life relatively private, Lakshmi admitted in April 2018 that she doesn’t see herself walking down the aisle again any time soon.

“I don’t feel I need to be married,” she told Wendy Williams at the time. “I think my life is great. … I don’t need a certificate to prove anything.”

This story originally appeared on: US Magazine - Author:Meredith Nardino