After reports that four women have accused the culinary megastar
of sexual misconduct, Mario Batali announced that
he would be stepping back from day-to-day operations of his
restaurant ventures. ABC has also asked the chef to step away from
the daytime talk showThe Chew, where Batali is one of the
hosts.
Three of Batali's accusers worked for the chef, while the fourth
did not work for him but did work in the restaurant industry. Her
allegation stems from conduct at a party in New Orleans
approximately ten years ago, where she says that Batali groped her
breasts after she spilled wine on her chest. The stories from the
three employees combine with this account to show a pattern of
behavior that dates back many years.
Batali was reprimanded for inappropriate behavior as recently as
two months ago, said a spokesperson for Batali & Bastianich
Hospitality Group, which provides support to some of the
restaurants where Batali is an owner. In a statement to the website
Eater, the chef did not deny the allegations. In his statement,
Batali said "I apologize to the people I have mistreated and hurt.
Although the identities of most of the individuals mentioned in
these stories have not been revealed to me, much of the behavior
described does, in fact, match up with ways I have acted. That
behavior was wrong and there are no excuses."
Women have been reluctant to come forward with their stories,
citing Batali's huge influence in the industry and his reputation
as being vindictive as reasons they have remained silent. One woman
who claims she was inappropriately touched by Batali in the 1990s
said that the chef "has clear intent on being
threatening when he is wronged. And the level of vindictiveness is
very chilling. So, it never occurred to me to share tales out of
school."
A few of the women have mixed feelings about Batali,
noting that he has hired and championed female chefs in his
restaurants. Del Posto's kitchen is currently led by a
female executive chef and executive pastry
chef.
With the restaurant industry's longstanding reputation as a
"boys club" with a pervasive culture of harassment, Batali will
likely not be the last prominent chef to face allegations of
impropriety. Earlier this year John Besh
left his restaurant group following several accusations of
harassment, and four women
have also alleged harassment by former Jean-Georges pastry chef
Johnny Iuzzini.