Mario Batali Steps Away From Restaurant Empire Following Sexual Misconduct AllegationsFour women accuse the chef of inappropriate touching in a pattern of behavior that spans at least two decades, according to dozens of Eater interviewsby Irene Plagianos and Kitty Greenwald
Dec 11, 2017, 8:01am EST
About 10 years ago, at the after-party for a wine auction in New Orleans, a woman in her 20s walked up to Mario Batali to introduce herself. As a chef, she was excited to meet one of the most revered figures in the restaurant industry. When they started talking, she recalls, she realized that he’d been drinking and he became what she characterized as “creepy†— “just giving me this provocative, icky feeling.â€
Minutes into their conversation, she recalls, he told her, “Come work for me, I’ll pay you double what you’re making.†Moments later, someone bumped her glass, spilling wine all over her chest and down her scooped-neck shirt. She alleges that Batali began rubbing her breasts with his bare hands while saying something like, “Let me help you with that,†as he groped her chest. “He just went to town, and I was so shocked,†the chef says. “Jaw on the ground, I just stepped back from him in utter disgust and walked away.â€
The chef is one of four women who allege that Batali touched them inappropriately in a pattern of behavior that appears to span at least two decades. ...
... ABC, where Batali has co-hosted the daytime show The Chew since 2011, has also asked the chef to step away from the show “while we review the allegations that have just recently come to our attention,†a spokesperson said.
Batali did not deny all the allegations, saying that they “match up†with ways he has behaved. ...
Rest of story at Eater