Writer Salman Rushdie's former wife Padma Lakshmi has revealed she is pregnant with her first child... but has declined to name the father, reports The Mail, London.
The 39-year-old model-turned-TV presenter said she was expecting after showing a hint of a baby bump at the Emmy Awards less than two weeks ago. Doctors hailed her pregnancy as a ‘miracle' as Lakshmi spent years struggling to conceive because of endometriosis.
Lakshmi's representative told Us weekly magazine : 'Padma Lakshmi confirms that she is carrying her first child after years of struggling with endometriosis, a cause for which she has co-founded the Endometriosis Foundation of America. As a result of her condition, this pregnancy has been referred to by her physician as nothing short of a medical miracle, and due to its delicate nature, we ask/implore the press to respect Ms. Lakshmi's privacy at this time.'
Lakshmi hasn't named the father of the baby though there are several rumours circulating on the internet.
Endometriosis is a condition which occurs when endometrial like tissue grows outside the uterus, which causes pain, irregular bleeding and potential infertility.
Speaking about the condition earlier this year, Lakshmi had said: 'I'm somebody who never knew I had this condition and always thought that everything was ok. I found out in a very hard, difficult way - and I had to be operated on. Now, I'm fine but it was a very trying ordeal.'
Several celebrities have spoken about their battle with endometriosis, including Louise Redknapp, Emma Bunton and Anna Friel.
Lakshmi's pregnancy news comes two years after she split from acclaimed author Rushdie after three years of marriage. During their relationship, Lakshmi was stepmother to Rushdie's son Zafar.
Lakshmi started off her career as a fashion model in 1990 and went on to work for Ungaro, Ralph Lauren, Roberto Cavalli and Alberta Ferretti. In the late Nineties, she turned her attention to food and wrote several best-selling cookery books before going on to present TV shows Planet Food, Melting Pot: Padma's Passport.
She has been hosting U.S. show Top Chef since 2006, for which she has been nominated for Emmy awards.
Lakshmi has also starred in several TV and movie roles, including an episode of Star Trek: Enterprise and Sharpe's Challenge.
