More woe for Mario
Add grope-&-kiss rap to list of sex complaints
Celebrity chef Mario Batali groped and forcibly kissed a young woman as they took a selfie together inside a Boston pub, according to a new lawsuit.
Natali Tene claims Batali treated her like a piece of meat during their brief encounter at Towne Stove and Spirits in April 2017.
The lawsuit says Batali beckoned her to his table to take a selfie after spotting her taking a photo of him.
Tene was 28 years old at the time. Batali, owner of a nearby Eataly, was 57.
As they prepared to take the picture, Batali pounced, the suit says.
“Batali grabbed and kissed Ms. Tene’s face, rubbed her breasts, grabbed her buttocks, put his hands between her legs and groped her groin area, and kept forcefully squeezing her face into his as he kissed her repeatedly,” says the lawsuit filed Wednesday in a Massachusetts court.
“Batali’s actions were without warning or permission, were unwanted and disgusting, and made Ms. Tene feel shocked and highly uncomfortable.”
The suit adds to a growing list of sexual assault accusations against the owner of such famed New York restaurants as Babbo and Spotted Pig.
Batali is the subject of a criminal probe by the NYPD and a civil investigation by the state attorney general’s office.
His once-high-flying restaurant empire has crumbled since sexual misconduct allegations began surfacing against him in December.
At least six of his eateries have closed, and he was fired from the ABC food show “The Chew.”
A Batali spokeswoman did not immediately return a request for comment.
Lawyers for Tene described him as a sexual predator.
“What Mario Batali did to Natali was disgusting and vile,” attorneys Eric Baum and Matthew Fogelman said in a statement. “Batali sexually assaulted our client in open view and without hesitation. He has shown no remorse. His actions cannot go unanswered. We live in a society where no one should ever use their power to violate and sexually assault another person.”