JIM’S SCANDAL VIEWS – CONFIDENTIAL:
COMEDIAN Jim Gaffigan is good pals with disgraced chef Mario Batali and says he tried to steer clear of news about his sexual harassment scandals. Last year, Batali was accused of misconduct around women and was fired from his show “The Chew.”
“I love Mario,” Gaffigan (inset) tells Confidential. “The generosity he showed to our family when my wife was in the hospital and when we went to his restaurant and she could only eat soup.
“I read a little bit and I made a point of not reading too much because I like him and I know he’s really got a good soul and a good heart.” So, should Batali be forgiven? “Given I don’t know the details,” he begins before pausing and adding: “I don’t know. I’m a Catholic. I feel like we should all work on forgiveness.”
Forgiveness is an interesting topic in light of Gaffigan’s latest role in the recently released film “Chappaquiddick,” which dramatizes Ted Kennedy’s 1969 car accident that claimed the life of Mary Jo Kopechne. Gaffigan plays Paul Markham, one of Kennedy’s cronies who supported him after the tragedy.
The 51-year-old comedian said he believes Kennedy was guilty of manslaughter.
“Absolutely,” he says. “I think the movie presents that. I also think he would be in prison if it occurred today. Politicians get away with stuff, Trump gets away with stuff. It’s an interesting commentary, not just on the machine that covered it up but on the Teflon ability of certain people.
“Mike Tyson raped a woman, went to jail for it and then had a Broadway show. It’s weird. It’s weird how humans digest things.” The last year has been a difficult one for Gaffigan and his family.
Last April, his wife, Jeanne, was diagnosed with a noncancerous but life-threatening brain tumor that was removed after a grueling nine-hour surgery.
“She’s still recovering from brain surgery so she’s probably got 89% of the energy she had, which is still equivalent of me at 120%,” he says.
Gaffigan, who has five kids with his wife, reveals that he contemplated what would have happened if the surgery had not been successful.
“I definitely came to the conclusion that if things went bad, that I would obviously have to stop acting and standup because I wasn’t going to outsource the parent- ing to other people. I was going to have to be this mediocre dad, which I still am, by the way,” he added jokingly.