Richard Gere has been rumoured to be secretly dating Padma Lakshmi.

According to Page Six, Gere is dating the "Top Chef" host for some time now. The actor is in the process of divorcing his wife Carey Lowell. The Page Six source said that the actor had recently started "spending some time together" with Padma Lakshmi. They apparently got close to each other while Gere was filming "Time Out of Mind" in New York. The affair is reportedly to be "very new and recent."

The 64-year-old actor and his 52-year-old wife decided to get divorced after having been married for 11 years. Gere's earlier marriage with supermodel Cindy Crawford too ended in a divorce. Padma Lakshmi, a former model, was married to controversial author Salman Rushdie until she divorced him in 2007 after three years of matrimony. Later, she dated Teddy Forstmann until the billionaire passed away of cancer in 2011. Padma Lakshmi has a 3-year-old daughter with venture capitalist Adam Dell, named Krishna Thea Lakshmi-Dell.

Gere is filming in New York at the moment where he is playing a homeless man who is trying to get in touch with his estranged daughter. Gere looked scruffy while he took a leak on a New York street for a scene in the film. The movie which is produced by Gere himself will show him in a totally new avatar as the actor is usually seen in a uber-stylish manner even at this age.

Us Weekly too confirmed the news of Gere allegedly dating Padma Lakshmi. The source of the Web site refused to call them a couple yet. However, the news of Gere and Padma Lakshmi dating each other is confirmed to be true. This is the first time Padma Lakshmi is dating someone since Mr Forstmann passed away, the source said. She is said to be dealing the affair with Gere "very, very delicately." The source said that the two are "just having fun."