Padma Lakshmi has lost her bitter baby battle with her former partner over their two-year-old daughter - and the tot will now take his last name.
Adam Dell - brother of Dell computer firm founder Michael Dell - has succeeded in being recognised as Krishna's father.
He was also fighting Top Chef host Lakshmi, whom he dated for two years, for full custody, and has secured extra custody and visitation rights.
Fight: Adam Dell has won a battle against Padma Lakshmi so that their daughter is recognised as his after his name was left off her birth certificate
The toddler will now take the name Krishna Thea Lakshmi-Dell.
Venture capitalist Dell, 42, sued Lakshmi, 41, in Manhattan Supreme Court last year, claiming she had refused to put his name on the birth certificate.
Lakshmi also allegedly told him she hoped her billionaire boyfriend Teddy Forstmann, who died last year, 'was the child's biological father'.
She had aimed 'to minimize, if not eliminate [Dell's] role in Krishna's life and to install Forstmann as Krishna's father', court papers claimed.
Parents: Lakshmi's daughter Krishna, right, will now take Dell's last name
Lakshmi and boyfriend Teddy Forstmann, who passed away last year
Dell also claimed Lakshmi had forced him into signing a restrictive visitation agreement so he only saw his daughter for a few hours a week.
KRISHNA'S TRUST FUND
Despite DNA tests proving that Dell is the biological father of Krishna, her mother's late boyfriend Teddy Forstmann set up a trust fund for her before his death.
It is uncertain how much the trust fund is for, yet Forstmann was worth $1.8 billion at the time of his death from brain cancer last year.
The details of the fund have not been made public after a request from his lawyers. But it could run into the millions and be used to pay for education or to make Krishna financially secure for the rest of her life.
Forstmann made his fortune as one of the founding partners of private equity firm Forstmann Little & Company, and chairman and CEO of IMG, an international sports, fashion and media company.
The financier, who was also romantically linked to Princess Diana, dated Krishna's mother Padma Lakshmi for several years, including at the time of the birth.
DNA tests proved Dell was the father, and he asked full custody and sued Lakshmi to get the girl's name changed.
A source told the New York Post: 'Their dispute was settled privately, out of court. Dell got improved visitation and custody rights.
'He had wanted full custody, but they came to a compromise. Padma maintains the same rights she always had.'
He previously only had seven hours a week with his daughter, sources had claimed.
Despite these developments, Krishna still has a trust fund from Forstmann, who dated Lakshmi for several years, including during the birth.
He changed his will to leave an undisclosed sum to the toddler before he died from complications from brain cancer last November at the age of 71.
At the time of his death, Forstmann was worth $1.8billion, making him the 782nd richest man in the world.
It had been reported that Forstmann had been 'carrying out the role of father since the moment Krishna was delivered into his arms'.
Past: Lakshmi was also married to author Salman Rushdie for three years
Court papers noted that Lakshmi, who was also married to controversial author Salman Rushdie for three years, had encouraged her daughter to call Forstmann 'Papa'.
She publicly declared her love for Forstmann by saying: ‘I am lucky to have someone who unwaveringly gave me love and manly support - and is also the person that I love. So thank you, Teddy.’
Although he never married, Forstmann was romantically linked to a string of beautiful women, including Elizabeth Hurley and Princess Diana.
When he died, he left two children, Everest and Siya, both orphans who were both adopted from South Africa and lived with him in New York.
This doesn't exactly paint Padma in the best light, and I am glad that Dell gets the chance to be a father to his daughter.
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