Names and faces
■ Mario Batali, his business partner and their New York City restaurant company have agreed to pay $600,000 to resolve a four-year investigation into allegations that Batali, restaurant managers and other workers sexually harassed employees, state Attorney General Letitia James announced Friday. The money will be split among at least 20 former employees of B&B Hospitality and their Manhattan restaurants Babbo, Lupa and the now-closed Del Posto, all of which Batali owned with Joseph Bastianich until March 2019. Batali, the celebrity chef known for his orange Crocs and ponytail, stepped down from day-to-day operations at his restaurant empire and left the since-discontinued ABC cooking show “The Chew” in December 2017 after four women accused him of inappropriate touching. He apologized, saying the allegations “match up” with how he had acted. Batali was accused of pulling a waitress’s hand toward his crotch as she served him and showing a waiter an unwelcome pornographic video. Chefs and managers were accused of degrading women with misogynistic comments and showing favoritism to male employees. In one instance, according to the investigation, a restaurant manager told female servers to wear makeup and get breast implants. The manager also referred to female employees as “sensitive” and “little girl” in front of guests, the investigation found.
■ James Brown’s family has finally reached a settlement after a 15-year legal battle over the Godfather of Soul’s estate. David Black, an attorney representing the estate, confirmed Friday that the agreement was reached this month, though details were not disclosed. The wrangling began when Brown died at 73 on Christmas Day 2006. That touched off years of bizarre headlines, beginning with a former partner who claimed to be Brown’s wife being locked out of his 60-acre property as photographers captured her sobbing and shaking the iron gates, begging to be let in. Brown was renowned for hundreds of musical works including hits like “I Feel Good” and “A Man’s World,” and was known around the world for his flashy performances and dynamic stage presence. But years of drug problems and financial mismanagement caused his estate to dwindle. More than a dozen lawsuits were filed over the years by people trying to lay claim to the assets.