Kriti Mehrotra
Although Netflix’s ‘Bad Vegan’ is a docuseries that primarily focuses upon the downfall of Sarma Melngailis, it also touches upon the fact that she was once considered the best in the vegan business. After all, not only did she have renowned personalities like Owen Wilson, Tom Brady, and Bill Clinton come into her restaurant — Pure Food and Wine — quite often, but she was also rather close to actor Alec Baldwin. So now that we know a bit more about her connection with him, let’s find out the reality of whether they actually dated or were ever in a relationship or not, shall we?
Were Alec Baldwin and Sarma Melngailis Dating?
Sarma Melngailis first came across Alec Baldwin at her restaurant in 2010, only to soon realize that their conversations came so easy that it was as if they’d always known one another. They not only “talked a lot on the phone and via e-mail,” as per her candid account on the Netflix original, but she even accompanied him to a staged reading of ‘Moby Dick’ in the Hamptons once. They were honestly as close as they could be, yet they never really took the next step because Sarma was in a relationship with someone else at the time — a fact that Alec ostensibly respected.
Alec was a regular at Pure Food and Wine, and the speculation in the series is that he “had a bit of a crush on Sarma,” especially considering how he confided in her about wanting someone special in his life. However, instead of presenting herself as a potential option in the near future, the dedicated proprietor suggested that he adopt a dog, going as far as to send him links for the same. The ‘30 Rock‘ actor didn’t follow through with her advice, but through this process, she ended up claiming a red-nosed, brown pit bull (whom she renamed Leon from Quinn) for her own.
That’s around the same time Sarma’s relationship came to an end, yet once she was ready to move on, Alec wasn’t available anymore; he’d met his now-wife Hilaria at the restaurant in 2011. In other words, it was just never the right time for them, and that’s something Sarma still regrets a little bit, as made evident in the docuseries. “I had never gone any further with Alec because I was in a relationship,” she said, adding, “I had always kind of felt like, you know, he’s a lot older than I am [about 14 years]. But then he ends up with somebody who’s like way younger than me.”
“I didn’t sleep with him… but we spent a bunch of time together,” Sarma told the New York Post back in 2019. “I went to his house in the Hamptons once and stayed overnight,” and he was always chivalrous. In fact, when it started to rain during an outdoor lunch they were having there, he suddenly left the table and “came back with a sweatshirt [for me]. It was very thoughtful.” Unfortunately, though, it seems like Sarma and Alec have since lost touch. “I tried to e-mail him once [following my release from prison], but I didn’t hear back,” she revealed. “I don’t know if he ever got it or did get it and was like, ‘Well…'”
Read More: Are Sarma Melngailis and Anthony Strangis Still Together?
