Disgraced Celebrity Chef Mario Batali Settles Sexual Misconduct Lawsuits
IT’S OVER
The epic legal saga following a series of sexual assault allegations against international restauranteur Mario Batali might have reached its conclusion. The two Boston cases focused on claims that Batali groped two women in an area restaurant, though criminal charges in one of the cases was dismissed in May. Although it is currently unclear how much the settlement amounted to, the victim’s attorneys put out a joint statement identifying that “the matters have been resolved to the satisfaction of all parties,” Reuters reported. Batali had settled previous harassment claims against 20 former employees to the tune of $600,000. The “Iron Chef” was originally accused by eight women of sexual harassment and sexual assault in an explosive 2017 Eater article. In 2018, a 60 Minutes investigation unveiled more sexual assault allegations against the star. Batali rejected the accusations, but apologized for his actions, calling his behavior “deeply inappropriate” and saying that he was “sincerely remorseful.”