Baby mama drama
Houston's Adam Dell embroiled in custody battle with Padma Lakshmi
Adam Dell and Padma Lakshmi
Padma Lakshmi and daughter Krishna Thea Lakshmi
Padma Lakshmi on "Top Chef"
Adam Dell, the megarich venture capitalist who was born and raised in Houston, may be best known for dating and having a child with Top Chef beauty Padma Lakshmi. Now he's embroiled in a nasty public spectacle over custody of the infant.
Dell filed for full custody of 11-month-old daughter Krishna last week, demanding additionally that her surname be changed to Dell (it's currently Lakshmi) and that his name be added to the birth certificate.
According to a statement released by Lakshmi, she received a copy of the suit a full day after news of it ran in Page Six:
Twenty-four hours after the NY Post was told about Adam Dell's lawsuit, neither Padma Lakshmi nor her lawyers had received a copy of it; they only learned of it through a statement Mr. Dell provided to the press. Ms. Lakshmi's sole interest lies in preserving the privacy and welfare of her daughter and in working out a fair and amicable agreement out of the media's glare."
In the article, Dell complains about having to fit visitation around Lakshmi's schedule, being forced to travel to (horrors!) the Bahamas and how mean to him she was when she found out she was pregnant.
According to Dell, his temporary agreement is quite limiting, with seven hours of visitation a week. But when you're dealing with a small child and a nursing, working mother in a different city, there are no easy solutions.
According to TMZ, the two parents were in negotiations to update the custody arrangement as of Krishna's upcoming first birthday but talks have fallen apart.
It's great for Krishna that she has two parents who want to fight for her. Let's just hope, after this, that both can act like grown-ups.
