Padma Lakshmi and chef Melissa King sparked romance rumors last month after their couples' Halloween costume raised eyebrows - but what's the real status of their relationship? "They're just close friends," a source exclusively tells Us Weekly. Lakshmi, 55, and King, 42, have known each other for years, but "they're not dating," the insider says. "There's nothing romantic going on," the source adds, noting, "There's no validity to the rumors" they are a couple. Padma Lakshmi Previously Discussed Her Sexuality, Dating a Woman in Memoir Lakshmi was introduced to King during season 12 of Top Chef, which Lakshmi hosted, while King competed for the coveted cooking title. King didn't win her first season, but she took home the trophy during season 17 in 2020. "Melissa King, you really came into your own this season on Top Chef. It's been such a pleasure to watch you blossom into a confident, on point and innovative chef," Lakshmi wrote via Facebook in June 2020 after presenting King with her trophy. "You showed us how Chinese food can be elevated and Chinese flavors enhance all food. Your finale dishes were stunning. You make me so proud! Brava!!" Over the next five years, Lakshmi and King nurtured a friendship off camera. Lakshmi spoke about their bond in October - days before the pair caused a stir with their joint Halloween costume. Top Chef's Gail Simmons Reveals How She's Changed as a Judge After 20 Years "Melissa is somebody whose cooking I always loved," Lakshmi told People on October 28. "She's fun and we enjoy each other's company. She tends to be my plus one sometimes so people will see us on the red carpet together." King shined a light on their friendship days later when she posted a series of pictures of their Addams family-inspired Halloween costumes. King dressed as Gomez Addams, while Lakshmi channeled her inner Morticia Addams. Two of the pair's other friends dressed as Wednesday Addams and butler Lurch for the spooky season. "I would die for her. I would kill for her. 🥀🖤- Gomez Paddams," King wrote alongside an Instagram video of the foursome on November 1. Krishna Lakshmi-Dell, Padma Lakshmi and Melissa King. Courtesy of Padma Lakshmi/Instagram In a separate post, King cuddled up to Lakshmi while dressed as the TV husband and wife. "Cara Mia! 🥀," she captioned the snap, which is the Italian phrase for "my dear." Lakshmi fueled relationship speculation later that week when she was spotted laughing with King at the New York City launch party for the release of her Padma's All American Tales, Travels, and Recipes from Taste the Nation and Beyond: A Cookbook. In a video shared on November 4 via DelishYES's Instagram account, Lakshmi placed her hand over her face, while King sat on her lap and touched her arm. Later that month, Lakshmi and King poked fun at the rumors surrounding their relationship while cooking together via an Instagram video. Padma Lakshmi Mourns Top Chef Masters' Naomi Pomeroy: 'Inspiring Woman' In the November 9 clip, King joked that Lakshmi's nails "are so gay right now." Lakshmi laughed before telling her friend, "Stop starting rumors." While Lakshmi hasn't publicly addressed the romance rumors, she previously talked about her sexuality in her 2016 memoir, Love, Loss and What We Ate. She revealed in the book that during her modeling days in Milan and Paris she "acted out my curiosities and fantasies," including a brief romance with a woman. Ayesha and Steph Curry and Lindsay Lohan and More Surprising Celeb BFFs "Some I regret, but not all, like knowing what it's like to touch and be touched by a woman," Lakshmi wrote. Lakshmi later spoke with Andy Cohen about her sexual exploration during a March 2016 Q&A session. "It was the first time I was far away from home and I was surrounded by the most beautiful women in the world," she recalled. "I'm not sorry. It was the first time I was an adult. I was experimenting with my sexuality." She concluded, "I never had had an emotional, romantic relationship with a woman. But I'm not sorry. It was a beautiful experience. It happened a few times and that's it."