Mario Batali Under Criminal Investigation By NYPD For Sexual Assault Allegations
May 21, 2018
Mario Batali Under Criminal Investigation By NYPD For Sexual Assault Allegations
At the end of last year, chef and TV personality Mario Batali stepped out of the spotlight and from his businesses after nine women came forward with sexual misconduct accusations against him. Now, the disgraced chef is under criminal investigation by the New York Police Department.
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In a 60 Minutes report on Sunday, Anderson Cooper talked with some of the accusers and people who worked with Batali at the famed Spotted Pig, a restaurant which he invested in. In the report that aired Sunday, the women shared graphic details of sexual abuse where Batali made passes to many of the women on the waitstaff. Many also accused him of emotional abuse. They referred to him as the “red menace” and a “monster.”
Jamie Seet, a manager at the Spotted Pig, said that in 2008 she saw Batali sexually touching a woman who seemed to be unconscious on the restaurant’s security camera. She, along with other employees, stopped him.
One woman, who chose to remain anonymous during the interview, accused Batali of drugging and sexually assaulting her in 2005. In a statement provided to CBS News, Batali said of the accusations, “I vehemently deny the allegation that I sexually assaulted this woman. My past behavior has been deeply inappropriate and I am sincerely remorseful for my actions. I am not attempting a professional comeback. My only focus is finding a personal path forward — a path where I can continue in my charitable endeavors — helping the underprivileged and those in need.”
In December 2017, Batali stepped down from both his company — B&B Hospitality Group — and the ABC daytime talk show The Chew after the food blog Eater New York posted a lengthy exposé in which four women accused him of sexual harassment.