Padma Lakshmi 'Happier Than Ever' With Boyfriend Terrance Hayes

Padma Lakshmi is the picture of romantic bliss these days, and it’s all thanks to handsome and talented poet Terrance Hayes. She’s “happier than ever” after finding love with the New York University professor, a source tells Closer exclusively.

“Padma is enjoying this time with Terrance. He checks all the boxes. He’s smart, handsome, funny, he’s a poet, he’s romantic and he makes her feel alive,” the source reveals.

“He just worships her. He says he hit the jackpot finding Padma. She’s having a blast. Terrance is exactly what she needed,” the insider adds.

The pair were first photographed kissing in mid-June 2021, even though Padma, 50, hadn’t publicly revealed her split from longtime boyfriend Adam Dell. The 51-year-old venture capitalist is the father of the Top Chef host‘s daughter, Krishna Thea Lakshmi-Dell.

“Padma’s split from Adam [Dell] was a shock to most of their friends. They were on-and-off for more than a decade. But now that she’s finally moved on, she’s happier than ever. And that has a lot to do with Terrance Hayes,” the source tells Closer exclusively.

As for their breakup after 11 years on-and-off as a couple, “Neither blames the other; it was just time to move on. They’ll remain friends and of course coparent Krishna, their daughter, whom they adore,” the insider says, adding, “There are no hard feelings between them.”

The brunette cooking enthusiast was photographed on June 14 kissing Terrance while walking her dog Divina in New York City. At the time, he was a handsome mystery man. But once his identity was revealed, Terrance proved to be quite the catch!

The 49-year-old won the 2010 National Book Award for poetry for his collection, Lighthead. His American Sonnets for My Past And Future Assassin in 2018 was a finalist for major awards including the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award and the TS Eliot Prize. Terrance is currently a professor at NYU, teaching creative writing.

Ever since the photos of Padma and Terrance kissing became public, the two have been happy to flaunt their new romance. On June 20, the pair radiated joy as they held hands while walking down a NYC sidewalk. Padma was all smiles as she looked stunning in a yellow, figure-hugging tank dress. Terrance donned a short-sleeved grey sweater and jeans — along with comfy flip flops — as the two made for such a striking couple. Padma truly does look “happier than ever!”

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