Mario Batali Found Not Guilty In Sexual Misconduct Trial

Topline

Disgraced celebrity chef Mario Batali was found not guilty of indecent assault and battery Tuesday over a 2017 incident in which he was accused of groping a woman at a bar in Boston.

Key Facts

Batali, 61, faced up to two and a half years in prison and would have been required to register as a sex offender if found guilty.

The former Molto Mario star had pleaded not guilty to the charges and waived his right to a jury when the trial began Monday, leaving his fate in the hands of Judge James Stanton.

Before announcing the verdict, Stanton said the complaining witness had “significant credibility issues,” and said she was financially motivated in bringing these charges.

Stanton said Batali’s demeanor on the night in question was “not fitting” for someone of his stature and noted he has paid a “high cost” already “in terms of diminished reputation and financial loss.”

Batali did not testify in the two-day trial.

Key Background

Batali was accused of groping a woman, Natali Tene, at a bar in 2017. Tene testified that she saw Batali and took a photo of him without his permission, and he noticed and called her over. Tene said Batali seemed drunk and requested they take a selfie together, during which he touched her face, breasts and genitals. The accuser said the chef touched her “in a way that I was never touched before.” Batali’s lawyer, Anthony Fuller, tried to undermine Tene’s credibility, showing text messages she sent to friends about the photos she took with Batali. Tene—who is also civilly suing Batali—said she was not smiling in the photos, but rather grimacing through an uncomfortable moment. A friend of Tene’s testified Tuesday that Tene told her about the incident with Batali shortly after it occured, according to the Boston Globe.

Tangent

Batali was first accused of sexual misconduct in a 2017 Eater expose, and was subsequently accused by several more women the next year. In 2019 the New York City Police Department said there was insufficient evidence to arrest Batali. He and others were required to pay a $600,000 settlement last year to settle harassment and discrimination claims at three of his New York City restauruants. After the claims against Batali surfaced, the chef parted ways with his ABC talk show The Chew and in 2019 he divested from his worldwide restaurant empire, including hot spots like Bappo and Del Posto, and his luxury Italian market chain Eataly.

Further Reading

Mario Batalli Returns—In Court, Facing Sexual Misconduct Charges (Forbes)

Mario Batali Goes on Trial in Sexual Misconduct Case (The New York Times)