. His lawyers called no witnesses. One manager told servers to get breast implants or make other changes in their appearance, the attorney general said. Batali, who pleaded not guilty to indecent assault and battery in 2019, took a calculated gamble that Stanton, a former Republican candidate for state representative appointed to the bench by Republican Gov. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. The woman, Natali Tene, also filed a lawsuit in Suffolk County Superior Court in 2018, based on the same incident. Registered in England and Wales. He pleaded not guilty. "My behavior was wrong and there are no excuses. "This happened to me and this is my life," said the woman when asked by prosecutors why she also decided to speak out. Get regular updates from NYT Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice. Including the pandemic, there have been a lot of lessons learned over the past three and a half years, and it has given us an opportunity to redefine our business and the culture we want to foster within our restaurants, emerging as the company we want to be.. After the verdict, Kevin Hayden, the Suffolk County district attorney, issued a statement expressing disappointment and acknowledging how difficult it can be for a victim to discuss sexual assault. Both mens signatures appeared on the settlement agreement, dated Thursday. ", But Fuller argued the accuser isn't a credible witness. She never consented to it, she said. Legal Statement. As part of a settlement, the two men and the company they once owned together paid $600,000 to be divided among at least 20 women and men who were sexually harassed while they worked at the Manhattan restaurants Babbo, Lupa or Del Posto, which, until it closed permanently in April 2021, was the crown jewel among the mens holdings. The settlement follows a four-year investigation by the attorney general's office that "found that B&B, Batali, and Bastianich had engaged in unlawful sex discrimination and retaliation, in violation of state and city human rights laws" at their restaurants Babbo, Lupa and the now-closed Del Posto, according to the agreement filed with the court. Celebrity chef Mario Batali, his business partner and their New York City restaurant company have agreed to pay $600,000 to resolve a four-year investigation by (Stuart Cahill/The Boston Herald via AP, Pool). The next day, a New York Times article detailed the accounts of several women who described incidents of sexual harassment and assault at the Spotted Pig, a favorite Manhattan playground of Mr. Batali and a number of other well-known chefs, musicians and sports stars. Batali still faces indecent-assault raps from a 2017 incident in Boston for allegedly groping and kissing a woman at a restaurant. or redistributed. Carolyn D. Richmond, an employment lawyer for Mr. Bastianich and the restaurant group, said many of the improvements in training and personnel management mandated by the attorney general had already been made. Before a sexual abuse scandal ended their business relationship, Joe Bastianich, left, and Mario Batali had been partners for 20 years, starting with their first restaurant, Babbo. "It all happened so fast," Tene testified in the non-jury trial. Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. (Stuart Cahill/The Boston Herald via AP, Pool), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Batali had previously settled a $5.25 million I want every woman in the restaurant industry to know that it is not normal to be sexually harassed, assaulted or abused simply because you are a woman, she said in a statement to The Times. A final payment of $48,000 is due on Oct 1. Batali is among a number of high-profile men who have faced a public reckoning during the #MeToo social movement against sexual abuse and harassment in recent years. "She explained that, so, it started with her taking secretive pictures of Mario Batali and then him noticing that she was taking pictures and insisting on taking selfies," Buckley said in similar testimony given by Tene a day earlier. Batalipleaded not guilty to indecent assault and batteryon allegations that he forcibly kissed and groped a woman after taking a selfie with her at a Boston restaurant in 2017. Mr. Batalis lawyers pulled the images and texts from Ms. Tenes phone, which a judge ordered her to turn over as part of a lawsuit she filed against Mr. Batali in 2018, seeking damages for the infliction of emotional distress. Prosecutors said Tene came forward with her account after the website Eater.com in December 2017 detailed allegations by four women who said Batali, a onetime Food Network fixture, touched them inappropriately over at least two decades. At its peak, Batali & Bastianich encompassed dozens of restaurants and food businesses in the United States, Italy, Singapore and Hong Kong. In many ways, the agreement resembles a settlement brokered in 2020 between Ms. James and Ken Friedman, the principal owner of the Spotted Pig restaurant in Manhattan, who agreed to pay $240,000 and a share of the restaurants profits to 11 former employees who had accused him of sexual harassment, retaliation and discrimination. Representatives for Batali, Bastianich and B&B did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday. From left, Jamie Seet and Trish Nelson were two of the women in the case that the New York State attorney general, Letitia James, right, brought against Ken Friedman, who owned the Spotted Pig. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis. Legal Statement. He has paid $192,000 to the attorney generals office, which has distributed it to the 11 women who had made the accusations. I neglected my responsibilities as I turned my attention away from the restaurants.. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. You can reach her at @haleychising on Twitter. Batali denied assaulting the woman and no charges have been filed. "My behavior was wrong and there are no excuses. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. In Boston, he opened the downtown Eataly location and Babbo Pizzeria e Enoteca in the city's Seaport District. She told police he grabbed her breasts, buttocks and groin, forcibly kissed her mouth and cheeks, and suggested they head to his nearby hotel. In addition to the payments, the settlement requires an overhaul of sexual harassment training and procedures at Mr. Bastianichs restaurants and any that he or Mr. Batali might have majority ownership in during the next three years. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Celebrity chef Mario Batali is seated at Boston Municipal Court on the second day of his sexual misconduct trial on Tuesday, May 10, 2022. If he had been found guilty, he would have faced up to two and a half years in jail and have been required to register as a sex offender. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, Pool). After four women accused him of inappropriate touching in 2017, he stepped down from day-to-day operations at his restaurant empire and left the since-discontinued ABC cooking show The Chew.. During cross examination, he produced financial statements showing the woman ate at Eataly, the Italian marketplace Batali once had an ownership stake in, weeks after the encounter and continued to patronize the Boston bar where the alleged assault took place. BOSTON Celebrity chef Mario Batalis trial on sexual misconduct charge in Boston has been set for April. Its an understatement to say that Mr. Batali did not cover himself in glory on the night in question, Stanton said after prosecutors argued he was visibly drunk in the photos. But the judge also rebuked Batali while suggesting the former star of shows like Molto Mario and Iron Chef America has already paid a high cost in terms of his diminished reputation and financial losses. Celebrity chef Mario Batali at Boston Municipal Court for the first day of trial on Monday. In 2019, Batali was charged with indecent assault and battery for allegedly forcibly kissing and groping a woman at a Boston restaurant in 2017. Batalis lawyer Anthony Fuller argued the assault never happened and that the accuser isnt a credible witness and has a financial incentive to lie. Mr. Friedman shut down the Spotted Pig the same month that the settlement was reached, effectively killing the profit-sharing piece of the agreement. ( 2008-12) Spain on the road Again is a 2008 American food and travel series produced by PBS. US celebrity chef Mario Batali exits courtroom 17 at Boston Municipal Court on May 24, 2019, in Boston, Massachusetts. Check out what clicked this week in entertainment. Im glad that those ladies who worked for Mario are going to be financially compensated, said Trish Nelson, one of the Spotted Pig servers who was sexually harassed by Mr. Friedman. The controversy around Mario Batali began in 2017, when the chef stepped down from the former B&B Hospitality Group in partnership with Joe Bastianich after accusations of sexual misconduct. According to the 32-year-old software company worker, she was trying to take a selfie with the chef when the incident happened. Chef Mario Batali has largely stayed away from the cameras following multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and his firing from The Chew in late 2017, but But the ponytail-and-orange Croc-wearing personality's high-flying career crumbled amid sexual misconduct allegations. The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs. Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology. Tene said she only came forward after realizing she was not alone. My behavior was wrong and there are no excuses. In 2018, New York City police said they were investigating allegations of sexual misconduct against Batali after a woman told CBS' 60 Minutes he drugged and sexually assaulted her in 2005. Celebrity chef Mario Batali listens at Boston Municipal Court on the first day of trial on Monday. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Prosecutors have said that Batali drunkenly assaulted Tene shortly after midnight on April 1, 2017, while posing with her for selfies at a bar near Boston's Eataly, the Italian market and restaurant he at the time part owned. The trial will take place April 11 in Boston Municipal Court, Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins office said Tuesday after a hearing. The prosecutor, Nina Bonelli, argued that all Natali Tene wanted was a good picture before Mr. Batali groped her. The judge noted those incidents and her disregard for the courts, in addition to photos from the night at the bar that showed her smiling after her first encounter with Mr. Batali. "Shes not being truthful," Fuller said. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. [1/7]Celebrity chef Mario Batali is seated at Boston Municipal Court during the first day of his trial on a criminal charge that he forcibly groped and kissed a woman at a restaurant in 2017, in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. May 9, 2022. Batali is listed as a co-applicant on the application. "I want to be able to take control of what happened and come forward, say my piece, get the truth out there - and everybody be accountable for their actions," Tene said. The past few years have truly been a transformative period, Bastianich said in a statement to The New York Times. Photographs from the chef's The 61-year-old was once a Food Network fixture on shows like "Molto Mario" and "Iron Chef America." Market data provided by Factset. In 2018, both B&B Hospitality Group and Eater bought out the cofounder in light of the accusations. Mario Batali Found Not Guilty in Sexual Assault Trial, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/10/dining/mario-batali-not-guilty-sexual-misconduct-trial.html. Batali faced up to 2 1/2 years in jail and wouldve been required to register as a sex offender if convicted. The investigation detailed formally what former employees had discussed on social media and in interviews: The men created a misogynistic culture where women regularly endured sexual comments, groping and kisses against their will. Batali has since been bought out of his stake in Eataly and the Babbo restaurant has closed. Batali has offered an apology, acknowledging the allegations "match up" with ways he has acted. Details of the groping and kisses from Mr. Batali came up in subsequent conversations, Ms. Buckley testified. The show features Iron Chef Mario Batali, actress Gwyneth Paltrow, New York Times food writer Mark Bittman, and Spanish actress Claudia Bassols. Batali, who pleaded not guilty to indecent assault and battery in 2019, could face up to 2 1/2 years in jail and be required to register as a sex offender if convicted. Yvonne Lattouf-Delgado was found dead Wednesday in the northwest suburb. He can be reached at nate.raymond@thomsonreuters.com. She explained her embarrassment after the incident until she heard other women sharing similar stories about Batali. Follow NYT Food on Twitter and NYT Cooking on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest. He opened La Sirena Ristorante, a lively yet elegant trattoria on the plaza level of New York City's Maritime Hotel in Chelsea. "The defense in this case is very simple: This didn't happen," Fuller said in his opening statement earlier in the day. In a statement, James said Batali and Bastianich permitted "shameful behavior" in the workplace. FollowNew York Times Cooking on Instagram,Facebook,YouTube, TikTokandPinterest. I take full responsibility. It was attached to a newsletter that also included a recipe for pizza dough cinnamon rolls that was widely mocked. Steven Senne/AP In his closing arguments, Mr. Batalis lawyer, Tony Fuller, said that Ms. Tene lied for fun and she lied for money, referring to a lawsuit she has filed against the chef. After text messages Batali's lawyers obtained showed she discussed the case with a friend and conducted outside research, in violation of court orders, prosecutors in nearby Middlesex County charged her with contempt. In 2019, Batali was charged with indecent assault and battery for allegedly forcibly kissing and groping a woman at a Boston restaurant in 2017. Get this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services. In one instance, according to James' investigation, a restaurant manager told female servers to wear makeup and get breast implants. Batali apologized that month, saying the allegations "match up" with ways he has acted. When the individual who committed such an abhorrent act is in a position of power or celebrity, the decision to report an assault can become all the more challenging and intimidating, he said. The case is one of a handful of criminal prosecutions of celebrities following the explosion of the #MeToo movement in 2017, which exposed widespread patterns of sexual harassment or abuse of women in multiple spheres of American life. The industry leader for online information for tax, accounting and finance professionals. Nation's Restaurant News is part of the Informa Connect Division of Informa PLC. Related: Mario Batali settles two sexual assault lawsuits, We plan to leverage our partnership with celebrity chef Mario Batali and launch a series of events designed to tackle the problem of food insecurity in northern Michigan, owners Jason and Linda Gollan said in their application. Mr. Bastianich has consistently downplayed his own role in the atmosphere at the restaurants and instead focused publicly on the sexual misconduct of Mr. Batali, whose culinary fame at the time had few rivals. he said. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. In the case of Mr. Bastianich and Mr. Batali, the attorney generals office is still determining how many employees will receive payments and how much those payments will be. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Chicago mayoral rivals Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas are campaigning for Black voters ahead of the April 4 runoff. We want to hear from you. He said the accuser has a financial incentive to lie as she's seeking more than $50,000 in damages from Batali in a separate civil lawsuit pending in Suffolk County Superior Court in Boston. "I have made many mistakes and I am so very sorry that I have disappointed my friends, my family, my fans and my team," Batali said in an email newsletter. He honed in on her recent admission of attempting to avoid jury service by claiming to be clairvoyant. Steven Senne/Pool via REUTERS. Celebrity chef Mario Batali places items on a table in a court room at Boston Municipal Court on the first day of trial on Monday. The woman testified the first day in court, recounting her initial shock. I have made many mistakes, he said in an email newsletter at the time. Celebrity chef Mario Batali listens on the first day of his trial, Monday, May 9, 2022, in Boston Municipal Court. By the end of the year, Mr. Batali had been fired from the ABC cooking and talk show The Chew and stepped back from the restaurants he owned with Mr. Bastianich. Celebrity chefs Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich and their New York City restaurant company have agreed to pay $600,000 to at least 20 former employees who were sexually harassed and retaliated against on the job. Prosecutor Nina Bonelli countered in her closing statement that Batalis lawyers were trying to demonize the woman, when it was their client on trial over his conduct. Market data provided by Factset. Batali, 61, pleaded not guilty in 2019 to a charge of indecent assault and battery in connection to the case. The attorney generals investigation, while not citing Mr. Bastianich for specific acts of sexual harassment, casts his role in a new, harsher light and emphasizes that both men were responsible for the toxic environment. The investigation found that both men and women were harassed, according to James. [1/7] Celebrity chef Mario Batali is seated at Boston Municipal Court during the first day of his trial on a criminal charge that he forcibly groped and kissed a woman at Celebrity chef Mario Batali places items on a table in a court room at Boston Municipal Court on the first day of trial on Monday. That investigation, which began in 2018, also found that employees had endured severe and pervasive incidents of unwanted touching and unwelcome sexual advances by Mr. Batali, once an investor in the Spotted Pig and a frequent guest.