The OP quote about the female manager doesn't really imply whether it was paid or not, one way or the other.

That said, whether FMLA is unpaid or not depends on the state.

I took my 12 weeks of FMLA parent leave (as a father) and I was paid weekly by the state (California). There is a cap to what the state will pay so it was less than my regular salary but it was a paid leave with the state providing the income.

(On top of that my company made up the difference, but that was a benefit they chose to give. But even if the company was stingy and didn't want to pay anything during the leave, the state does provide some income.)