Who Is Padma Lakshmi’s Rumored New Boyfriend Terrance Hayes? What To Know

Padma Lakshmi has officially moved on from her split with ex Adam Dell as she was recently spotted packing on PDA with a new man.

The “Top Chef” host, 50, was spotted by the paparazzi in New York City Monday kissing a mystery man, who was identified by Page Six as writer Terrance Hayes.

The romance between Lakshmi and Hayes is fairly new, the outlet learned from an unnamed insider. “It’s early days. They’re just getting to know each other,” the source was quoted as saying.

In the photos obtained by Page Six, Lakshmi and Hayes are seen getting intimate, with the latter planting a kiss on the former’s mouth even though she’s wearing a face mask.

For their late-night date, the model and television host kept it simple and sexy by donning a white ruffled dress with a brown belt that showcased her long legs. She also rocked brown high-heeled sandals. On the other hand, the poet and educator rocked a black shirt, blue denim jeans and black sandals.

Hayes is a MacArthur fellowship recipient who works as a professor of creative writing at New York University. He previously worked for New York Times Magazine from 2017 to 2018, according to Us Weekly.

The 49-year-old South Carolina native’s works include “Muscular Music,” “Hip Logic,” “Wind In A Box” and “How To Be Drawn,” among many others. In 2015, he became a finalist for the National Book Award, and he managed to do the same in 2018. He won the award in 2010 for his book of poems, “Lighthead.”

Hayes earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at Coker College and a Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to teaching at New York University, he was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Alabama and the University of Pittsburgh, as per his Poetry Foundation profile.

Meanwhile, Lakshmi also has numerous recognitions to her name as she has been nominated for six Critics Choice Real TV Awards, three of which were for “Top Chef” while the remainder was for “Taste of Nation.”

Before meeting Hayes, Lakshmi had been in an on-again, off-again relationship with Dell since 2009. The celebrity and the venture capitalist, who called it quits earlier this year, share a daughter, 11-year-old Krishna Thea, according to Page Six.