Who is David Byrne’s fiancée Mala Gaonkar? All about partner as Talking Heads icon talks about being on the autism spectrum 

Frontman of the iconic rock group Talking Heads, David Byrne, is reportedly on the autism spectrum. The 73-year-old rocker appeared on the latest episode of The Louis Theroux Podcast and spoke about the possibility and his experiences being on the spectrum. He also discussed the importance of music in helping him manage himself:

“That might have been in the ‘90s or something, there were articles in magazines and things like that about this idea of spectrum.”

He further explained the apparent difference in the types of autism:

“There’s fairly severe autism where people don’t talk at all and it’s very, very difficult for them to communicate. And then there’s milder and milder, and until it’s on the very mild side.”

Byrne and Theroux also conversed about challenges faced by those on the spectrum and using music to navigate through the condition. David Byrne has even sung about his experiences on 'She Explains Things to Me' off of his new album, Who Is the Sky?:

“I've had the experience where someone will say, 'Well, I clearly said no,' and then I’ll replay the conversation and the word ‘no’ was not there, but they expected their facial expression or the nuances of what they were saying to be read and clearly interpreted as a 'no'.”

Byrne later mentioned that he has been managing his condition better now than 'he used to' in the past.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer had earlier announced his engagement to longtime girlfriend Mala Gaonkar, an entrepreneur and investment banker.

Who is David Byrne's Fiancée?

David and Mala first met in 2016 when the two were co-writing an immersive performance for the Stanford Arts Institute. The couple has collaborated professionally since and has made many public appearances.

Mala is an investor and a fund manager based in New York. As per the investment fund's page, she has previously worked with the Boston Consulting Group and has been a Kauffman Fellow, a prestigious fellowship program from investment bankers. She has also attended Harvard University and Harvard Business School.

David Byrne had 'formally' announced his engagement to Gaonkar in August of this year when, in an interview with The Times, he referred to her as his 'fiancée while discussing the release of his September-bound album Who Is The Sky? He said:

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“My fiancée will sometimes come at me with greasy hands, ready to smear my face. And at one point I thought, ‘What if I wake up and really looked younger?’”

David's latest album, Who Is The Sky? released in September to favorable reviews.

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