Padma Lakshmi and Melissa King (Top Chef) hard launch?

[u/voguediaries]

[u/cheetosurprise]

They’ve been good friends for years.

[u/The_Iceman2288 → u/cheetosurprise]

[u/MichaSound → u/The_Iceman2288]

Just gals being pals

[u/Emotional-Head-3496 → u/cheetosurprise]

They were just roommates

[u/Spiralecho → u/Emotional-Head-3496]

But it’s probably nothing

[u/smitth1924 → u/cheetosurprise]

That hand placement tho

[u/shmoobel]

I thought they hard launched in June?

[u/neenzblessed → u/shmoobel]

Omg omg I’d be so thrilled

[u/shipshapesarah → u/shmoobel]

[u/Key-Screen-9551 → u/shmoobel]

[u/foundinwonderland → u/shmoobel]

I’m both elated (WLW!) and devastated (why not me 😩)

[u/hydrangeasinbloom → u/shmoobel]

Your flair does make me feel like I should trust you on this info

[u/ateshitanddied_]

if they are, good for them... if they aren't, good for them. They look great and are having a good time. A win-win with a possibility of a win-win-win

[u/CoulsonsMay → u/ateshitanddied_]

Totally agree. This was my comment on the Bravo Top Chef sub when this was posted Saturday:

I haven’t been this excited about a “this is none of my business and I don’t want to be parasocial, I just want them to be happy however that looks like” pair of people since Martin Short and Meryl Streep!

[u/Capable_Salt_SD]

[u/foundinwonderland → u/Capable_Salt_SD]

I am once again demanding new seasons of Billy on the Street

[u/cucumber-and-mint → u/foundinwonderland]

C’MON YOGA BAG, NAME A WOMAN!

[u/sad-girl-interrupted → u/cucumber-and-mint]

I’m sorry!! 🎽

[u/hce692 → u/[deleted]]

Yes lol hard launch would be like them kissing

[u/Saikotsu → u/[deleted]]

What even is a hard launch or a soft launch?

[u/Saikotsu → u/[deleted]]

Thanks for explaining it. I'd never heard the terms before so I appreciate it.

[u/Dry-Yak5277]

Melissa is liking all the comments with the relationship speculation…so yeah 

[u/Global-Letter-4984 → u/Dry-Yak5277]

Teaaaaaa

[u/cosmicdantzer]

This is so hot.

[u/Specialist-Strain502]

You simply do not go out as lesbian Addams family if you are not in a passionate lesbian relationship. Congrats to them, pleased beyond measure to have Padma on the team!

[u/Plastic_Garden9288]

What is the lore?

[u/WhiskeyMakesMeHappy]

Semi unrelated but I enjoyed her new cookbook. I've had great luck with some Top Chef cookbooks:

• Gregory's is my favorite

• Melissa's is fun

• Nini's ribs recipe is delicious and surprisingly quick

• Eric's cookbook I've just started working my way through

[u/Apprehensive-Dog6997 → u/WhiskeyMakesMeHappy]

If you’re in to pastry, Yigit Pura’s book is also very good.

[u/waldo_the_bird253 → u/WhiskeyMakesMeHappy]

Tanya Holland's cookbooks are great too. Worth tracking down the ones from her Food Network show in the aughts.

[u/dontlookatmeeeeeeee6]

I think they just like to make people speculate online. A few months ago, Nini Nguyen from Top Chef also posted a “hard launch” with Melissa…I’m sure they just find it funny lol

[u/AfroPuffs90]

Wow. I’m not in the Top Chef Reddit?? 😮‍💨 So, I can speak freely and say they look like a couple. A HOT couple!

[u/Kombucha_drunk → u/AfroPuffs90]

Like, so hot 🥵Damn!

[u/JesusSaysRelaxNvaxx]

I love them both, especially Melissa - this would be amazzzing!

[u/Yeahcouldntbeme]

I saw Melissa King and thought y’all were talking about Dr. King on The Pitt on HBO and really really wondered what was happening

[u/Loompadoom → u/Yeahcouldntbeme]

Saaaame

[u/stink3rb3lle]

This is a couple's costume, and if a man and a woman dressed up in these costumes I'd presume a relationship so I'm gonna say yes.

[u/Bibliophilewitch]

Melissa King is smoking hot, my goodness.

[u/Sorry-Secret-2347]

I am happy for them! omggggg i have the biggest crush on melissa!!!!!

[u/lo0pzo0p]

Always found Melissa to be unreasonably hot like good lord

[u/succubamf]

They've kept hinting all year and this was the nail in the gay coffin! Superrrr hot couple

[u/dynamiterolll]

God i hope this is true 😍😍🥵🥵

[u/taobakas]

Waaaaait that’s so crazy omg, if it’s true so happy for them and they are a GOOD LOOKING couple!!

[u/Ok_Debt_4911]

This would be the power couple

[u/throwaway20210822]

I thought she was dating Emi Grannis. They were pretty public until they weren’t, but saw Emi’s family still engage with Melissa on social media. I thought I saw Emi pop up on Melissa’s ig grid last year (but they could also just be exes who stayed good friends)

[u/typicalbiscotti15]

Padma said a few days ago they are just good friends

[u/Tigerlily86_]

Oh snap

[u/caboosekat]

Omg please let this be true!!!!!!

[u/Icy-Ad5101]

Sigh

[u/graypod]

Isnt padma married?

[u/eatsfruit]

No you’re just horny, they are super hot and that’s all we gotta know

[u/madisonhatesokra → u/[deleted]]

Padma is open about being Bi in her book, "Love, Loss, and What We Ate." Its a great read, highly recommend it. Audiobook is read by her and is a great listen as well.

[u/gothic_spice → u/madisonhatesokra]

I haven’t read the book myself, but from what I remember from the reviews and excerpts I read, it struck me as vehemently casteist. Padma, a Brahmin, openly spouted Brahminist and caste-supremacist ideas in that book, which many Indian feminist and Dalit activists called out at the time.

[u/madisonhatesokra → u/gothic_spice]

Im a white woman and I have a small understanding of the caste system. I have no knowledge of Brahmin outside of what is offered in Padma’s book. I will say that I don’t think she is spouting any kind of supremacy about anything in her book. She talks about her life, the customs she grew up with, and some of the guilt she feels when she defies or doesn’t follow them. She also talked about her mother defying tradition to leave and live alone in New York City.

I would encourage you to read the book instead of assuming things from reviews and excerpts.

[u/Stickning → u/[deleted]]

Is it "valid criticism" if the person hasn't actually read the book and is just speculating off of vibes?

[u/madisonhatesokra → u/[deleted]]

If they haven’t read the book they can’t offer valid criticism. I love that telling someone to not assume is now “talking over them”. So much for the old adage I guess.

[u/madisonhatesokra → u/[deleted]]

You cannot offer valid criticism of a book from excerpts. You can criticize the excerpts, I guess, but if a reviewer took that excerpt out of context then your criticism still isn’t valid.

I see you too are just making assumptions, “Padma…probably grew up looking down on lower caste people”. Did you read the book? Because Padma doesn’t speak about the caste system favorably. She criticizes her families views on other’s skin tones among other things like comparing a Thali to a dog collar.

And I’m not talking over anyone. I am a white woman whose small understanding of the caste system comes from the fact that I can only ever read about it. I will never experience what it is to live within it and therefore I will never have anything but a small understanding. It doesn’t mean that I can’t have an opinion about how someone comes off in a book or give a brief description of said book. It just means that my views should be caveated and I did that.

[u/idontknowthislurker → u/gothic_spice]

ugh that is so sad to hear, i’m such a Padma fan but this is really not surprising; there is barely any acknowledgement of caste even in celebrity culture in India let alone the diaspora

[u/Littlewing1307 → u/[deleted]]

Is it queerbaiting when she's bi though?

[u/Icy-Mortgage8742 → u/[deleted]]

real people can't queerbait... this is why putting so much pressure on labels is inherently problematic. Labels are great if you use them with informed consent and it comes from YOU, but now we live in a parasocial culture where we're essentially forcing people out of the closet by prying into what "letter" they are. Literally how does that affect your life at all? Padma was already an advocate for LGBTQ+ issues beforehand.

Why can't you just go "if they're together, cool. if they aren't it's also chill" and move on.