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Natali Tene, 32, recounted from the witness stand being "shocked" and "alarmed" by the encounter with the famed chef as Batali, 61, went on trial in Boston Municipal Court on a 2019 charge of indecent assault and battery. Ive never been touched before like that, she testified, like squeezing in between my legs, squeezing my vagina to pull me closer to him, as if thats a normal way to grab someone., Judge Stanton said, Its an understatement to say that Mr. Batali did not cover himself in glory on the night in question. But he added that Ms. Tene has significant credibility issues.. BOSTON (AP) Celebrity chef Mario Batalis trial on sexual misconduct charge in Boston has been set for April. Mario Batali was found not guilty of indecent assault and battery on Tuesday, following a swift trial in which the celebrity chef waived his right to have a jury The settlement follows a four Judge James Stanton delivered the ruling in Boston Municipal Court after a two-day bench trial that centered on testimony from Natali Tene, 32, who said Mr. Batali forcibly kissed and grabbed her during a late-night selfie session at a Boston bar in April 2017. In particular, I believe we were the first restaurant group in New York City that put in place a 24-hour employee hotline operated by a third party, she said. 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. She never asked for it. Then in 2018 and 2019, Batali faced both civil and criminal assault charges from multiple women, all claiming that the chef inappropriately touched and sexually harassed them. Mr. Batali, who lost his job on the ABC talk and cooking show The Chew, still faces at least two civil suits and a potential criminal trial. I take full responsibility.". He is one of several high-profile men to be accused in the #MeToo movement. I neglected my responsibilities as I turned my attention away from the restaurants.. My behavior was wrong and there are no excuses. In delivering the verdict, Boston Municipal Court Judge James Stanton agreed with Batalis lawyers that the accuser had credibility issues and that photos suggested the encounter was amicable. Batali apologized that month, saying the allegations "match up" with ways he has acted. BOSTON Celebrity chef Mario Batalis trial on sexual misconduct charge in Boston has been set for April. Celebrity chef Mario Batali (center left) departs the courtroom after pleading not guilty at Boston Municipal Court in 2019. Mario Batali's sexual misconduct trial opened Monday in a Boston court with his accuser recounting how she'd been "shocked, surprised and alarmed" as the celebrity Celebrity chef Mario Batali listens on the first day of his trial, Monday, May 9, 2022, in Boston Municipal Court. In 2018, both B&B Hospitality Group and Eater bought out the cofounder in light of the accusations. 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. He honed in on her recent admission of attempting to avoid jury service by claiming to be clairvoyant. New York Attorney General Letitia James announced, 2019: Mario Batali facing criminal charges in alleged Boston groping incident, Batali was charged with indecent assault and battery, allegedly forcibly kissing and groping a woman at a Boston restaurant. ", After four women accused him of sexual misconduct in 2017, Batali stepped down from running his restaurants and was removed from the hit ABC cooking show, "The Chew.". Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. The woman said she didn't recall going to Eataly and maintained she isn't speaking out for financial gain. In 2019, he and his wife opened the Mario Batali And Ms. Tene told her story to the publication Eater only when she realized other women were coming forward. The kissing, the groping. 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 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. Mario Batali has been living with Parkinsons disease for several years and has been an advocate for awareness and research of the disease. "Essentially the whole time there was touching of my sensitive feminine areas.". Chefs and managers at the Batali-owned restaurants were accused of degrading women with misogynistic comments and showing favoritism to male employees. In court on Monday, however, she maintained that she can predict major events before they happen "to a certain extent.". Mario Batali CHEF MARIO BATALI'S ACCUSER TESTIFIES IN SEXUAL MISCONDUCT TRIAL. Batali has offered an apology, acknowledging the allegations "match up" with ways he has acted. In a statement at the time, Batali formerly best known for his orange Crocs, ponytail and vespa apologized and said the accusations described by the women "match up" with the way he had acted. The investigation began in 2017, when the #MeToo movement exploded and news reports about Mario Batalis sexually aggressive behavior began to surface. The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs. "The charges, brought by the same individual without any new basis, are without merit. 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. Mr. Batali saw her surreptitiously shoot a photo of him from a few seats away at the bar, then invited her to take some pictures with him, she said. Legal Statement. Batali, known for his orange Crocs and ponytail, stepped down from day-to-day operations at his restaurant empire and left the since-discontinued ABC cooking show "The Chew" in December 2017 after four women accused him of inappropriate touching. He became a household name through appearances on Food Network shows such as "Iron Chef America. Anthony Fuller, an attorney speaking on Batali's behalf, said at the time that the chef denies the allegations in both the criminal and civil complaints brought by the woman in Boston. Steven Senne/Pool via REUTERS. What Is Mario Batali Doing Now? Boston Court Appearance, Access unmatched financial data, news and content in a highly-customised workflow experience on desktop, web and mobile. 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. $600,000 Sexual Harassment Settlement Reached in Batali & Bastianich Case, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/23/dining/mario-batali-sexual-harassment-case-settlement.html. Batali has since been bought out of his stake in Eataly and the Babbo restaurant has closed. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, Pool), DISGRACED CELEBRITY CHEF MARIO BATALI OPTS FOR NON-JURY TRIAL IN SEXUAL MISCONDUCT CASE. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The 32-year-old Boston-area software company worker said she felt confused and powerless to do anything to stop Batali. The business has been reconfigured and no longer uses that name. Her reaction or lack thereof to the alleged assault is telling, the judge said. The past few years have truly been a transformative period, Mr. Bastianich said in a statement sent to The Times. His lawyers called no witnesses. Batali pleaded not guilty to a charge of indecent assault and battery in 2019. Eater broke the story on my thirty-ninth birthday: Mario was accused of sexual misconduct and abusive behavior by former staff and female journalists spanning back to the late 90s. Celebrity chef Mario Batali was found not guilty Tuesday at a bench trial on charges of indecent assault and battery related to the alleged groping of a star-struck For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. He can be reached at nate.raymond@thomsonreuters.com. Another woman, Alexandra Brown, filed a similar suit based on an incident with Mr. Batali during a selfie session in Bostons Chinatown neighborhood. 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. Get this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services. BOSTON (AP) Mario Batali was found not guilty of indecent assault and battery on Tuesday, following a swift trial in which the celebrity chef waived his right to Former employees who spoke to the attorney generals office described a sexualized culture of harassment at Del Posto, which closed permanently earlier this year. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. In Boston, he opened the downtown Eataly location and Babbo Pizzeria e Enoteca in the city's Seaport District. "You go to the restaurant of the guy who you claimed brutally assaulted you?" A judge has handed down a not guilty verdict for Mario Batali. Celebrity chef Mario Batali is seated at Boston Municipal Court on the second day of his sexual misconduct trial on Tuesday, May 10, 2022. 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. Chefs Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich to pay $600K to victims of sexual Her claims form the basis of the only criminal case to result from multiple #MeToo-era claims of sexual harassment and assault that helped fuel Batali's downfall. "I want to be able to take control of what happened, say my piece and have everyone be accountable for their actions.". Photographs from the chef's Juliana Imperati, a former line cook at Del Posto, said in a statement that the restaurants leadership made employees feel "as if it is a rite of passage to be harassed at work.". Steven Senne/AP In 2019, Mr. Bastianich and his sister, Tanya Bastianich Manuali, purchased all of Mr. Batalis shares in a number of jointly owned restaurants, ending a 20-year relationship between the men. In announcing his decision, Boston Municipal Court Judge James Stanton agreed with the contention that the accuser had credibility issues. She said the woman tried to de-escalate the unwanted touching by simply smiling it off in the photos. 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.