Chef Mario Batali Sells His Stake in All His Restaurants One Year After Sexual Harassment Accusations
Chef Mario Batali has sold his ownership shares in his restaurant group more than one year after he was accused of sexual harassment by several women.
Batali and the Bastianich family had 16 restaurants together but will now be managed by a new company, replacing the Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group, according to the New York Times. The Bastianich family bought out Batali’s shares in the restaurants and say he “will no longer profit from the restaurants in any way, shape or form.”
Batali will also sell his shares in Eataly, the popular chain of upscale Italian supermarkets.
The chef issued a statement on Wednesday morning saying, “I have reached an agreement with Joe [Bastianich] and no longer have any stake in the restaurants we built together. I wish him the best of luck in the future.”
Mario Batali was fired from “The Chew” and took a leave of absence from his restaurants in December 2017 after allegations of sexual misconduct first came to light.
Four women came forward to accuse the chef of inappropriate touching over a span of 20 years, Eater reported at the time.
One woman told the site he groped her breasts after offering her a job, while another claimed he ordered her to straddle him. One woman claimed that he grabbed her breasts at a party, though she no longer worked for him at the time.
The post Chef Mario Batali Sells His Stake in All His Restaurants One Year After Sexual Harassment Accusations appeared first on The Blast.
