‘Top Chef’ Host Padma Lakshmi Addresses Paternity Rumors

 
 
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  • ‘Top Chef’s’ Padma Lakshmi sports a royal purple gown at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Nokia Theatre on September 20, 2009 in Los Angeles, California
  • Jeremy Piven’s Twitpic of Padma Laksmi enjoying desert, Oct. 1, 2009
  • Padma’s Twitpic of Jeremy Piven enjoying desert, Oct. 1, 2009
  • Padma Lakshmi walks the red carpet during the White House Correspondents’ dinner after party

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  • Getty Images

    ‘Top Chef’s’ Padma Lakshmi sports a royal purple gown at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Nokia Theatre on September 20, 2009 in Los Angeles, California

  • TwitPic

    Jeremy Piven’s Twitpic of Padma Laksmi enjoying desert, Oct. 1, 2009

  • TwitPic

    Padma’s Twitpic of Jeremy Piven enjoying desert, Oct. 1, 2009

  • Getty Images

    Padma Lakshmi walks the red carpet during the White House Correspondents’ dinner after party

 
 

FIRST PUBLISHED: October 2, 2009 3:13 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES, Calif. --

Padma Lakshmi hasn’t revealed who the father of her unborn baby is yet, but she’s saying who he most definitely is not.

The “Top Chef” host confirmed on Thursday through a rep that she is expecting. Immediately reports surfaced questioning her baby’s paternity and linking the model and author to a number of men including Manu Nathan, who works at IMG, a talent agency.

But according to Padma, Manu is definitely not her baby’s daddy.

“Manu Nathan is my cousin and dear friend, closest I have to a real brother,” she wrote on her Twitter account on Friday. “There is no chance he has anything to do with this.”

While Padma is keeping mum on whom the father of her baby is, she was very vocal about the support she has received from fans that have congratulated the 39-year-old on her good news.

“Thanks so much to all who have shown your love, support & good wishes! It’s been great. Very excited about the coming baby,” she wrote.

As previously reported on AccessHollywood.com, Padma is expecting her first child, which is joyous news for the beauty as she suffers from endometriosis, which in some cases can lead to infertility.

And it appears the mom-to-be has been enjoying her pregnancy. She and “Entourage” star Jeremy Piven Tweeted photos of each other enjoying decadent deserts last night at a restaurant.

Padma was previously married to “Satanic Versus” author Salman Rushdie, but the two divorced after three years of marriage in 2007.

The star showed off her baby bump on the red carpet at the Emmys last month.

Copyright 2009 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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