Padma Lakshmi 'sued in custody battle'

Padma Lakshmi has been sued by Adam Dell for custody of their 11-month-old daughter Krishna.

The AP reports that Dell is seeking to take the child from the Top Chef star as he feels that she is "either unable or unwilling to moderate either her social or business travel" and prefers to concentrate more on her career than parenting.

"[Dell] is the parent who can be relied upon to put Krishna's needs before his own," reads the suit.

"[Lakshmi's] career as a television personality and her commitment to celebrity status involve a hectic, irregular schedule and require frequent and distant travel."

Dell also claimed that Lakshmi has tried "to minimise, if not eliminate, [his] role in Krishna's life" by encouraging the child to view her current partner Ted Forstmann as a father figure.

However, Lakshmi's spokesperson Christina Papadopoulos denied the accusations, insisting: "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."

Her lawyer Jay D. Silverstein also referred to Dell's claims as "inaccurate and misleading".

Dell is said to be seeking a "reasonably negotiated co-parenting agreement".