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BOSTON – Celebrity chef Mario Batali faces a criminal charge for forcibly kissing a woman at a Boston restaurant in 2017.
Batali, who recently sold her financial interests in all her restaurants, is scheduled to appear on Friday on charges of indecent assault, a spokeswoman for Suffolk district attorney Rachael Rollins said.
This is the first criminal charge against Batali resulting from several allegations of sexual harassment and assaults that paralyzed his career in the # MeToo movement.
FEATURE: Chef Mario Batali attends an awards ceremony in New York.
(Invision / AP)
A criminal complaint filed last month indicates that the woman reportedly told the police that Batali had noticed her taking a picture of him at the restaurant and offered to take a selfie with her, the Boston Globe reported. .
The woman says that Batali then grabbed her chest, kissed her face and touched her lower abdomen without her consent.
The details of the complaint reflect those of a civil lawsuit filed against Batali in August. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for "severe emotional distress", including anxiety and self-doubt.
A Batali lawyer said the leader denies the allegations.
WOMAN CLAIMED MARIO BATALI, DRUG, SEXUALLY SAXUVE INSIDE HIS ROOM INSIDE THE NYC RESTAURANT; NYPD INQUIRY ON ALLEGATIONS
"The charges, brought by the same person without any new basis, are unfounded," said attorney Anthony Fuller in a statement sent via email. "He intends to vigorously fight the charges and we hope that the outcome will give Mr. Batali full reason," said Fuller.
Several other women have already raised the allegation of sexual misconduct of Batali. Batali resigned from the daily activities of his restaurant empire and the "The Chew" cooking show in December 2017 after four women accused him of improperly touching.
Batali apologized that month, claiming that the allegations "agreed" with the ways he had acted.
"I have made many mistakes and I am really sorry to have disappointed my friends, my family, my fans and my team," Batali said in an e-mail newsletter. "My behavior was bad and there is no excuse, I assume all responsibility."
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The New York Police Department said last year that it was investigating allegations of sexual misconduct against the chief after a woman had told "60 Minutes" that Batali was Had drugged and sexually assaulted her in 2005. Batali had denied assaulting the woman.
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