Batali assault trial gets underway
The trial of Mario Batali, who opened several restaurants in Connecticut, began Monday with the celebrity chef waiving his right to a jury trial and instead choosing a trial before a judge, the Associated Press reported.
Batali, 61, is accused of kissing and groping a woman when she took a selfie with him at a Boston restaurant in 2017. He pleaded not guilty to indecent assault and battery in 2019, the Associated Press reported.
The woman testified during the start of the trial in Boston Municipal Court that Batali appeared drunk and was slurring his words, according to the Associated Press report. She testified she felt embarrassed by the incident until others came forward with claims of misconduct against Batali.
“I want to be able to take control of what happened, come forward, say my peace and have everyone be accountable for their actions and behaviors,” she told the court, according to the Associated Press.
But Batali’s lawyer pointed to a pending lawsuit the woman has filed against Batali, seeking damages against him as evidence the claim was “fabricated for money and for fun,” the report states.
Batali’s restaurant empire included Tarry Lodge, a pizza and Italian eatery in Westport with former locations in New Haven and Port Chester, N.Y.
Batali announced in 2017 he was stepping away from his restaurant businesses after four women accused him of inappropriately touching them, Vanity Fair reported at the time. In 2019, he gave ups his shares in Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group, which ran 16 restaurants, Time reported.