Mario Batali has "parted ways" with New York, saying in a scathing rant that "there's enough a**holes" in the Big Apple.
Once a Manhattan fixture, the chef made the comments during his first public return to cooking on screen, in a livestream of his virtual cooking show "Molto A Casa."
Batali hosted the show from his home in tiny Northport, Michigan, where he fled when his career was sidetracked following the emergence of a string of accusations of sexual harassment and sexual assault, including rape, in 2017, according to the New York Post.
Ultimately, Batali, who denied all sexual misconduct, was forced out of restaurants including Babbo, Lupa and Casa Mono, and his Eataly food markets
On Friday, he marked his return with a $50-a-head live cooking class on Zoom followed by a Q&A. During the session, the New York Post asked Batali if he would ever do live cooking demos back at Eataly in New York City.
"Me and New York have parted ways. I'm done," he replied.
"It was a great town. It worked for me for the longest time," he continued. "But now I live in Northern Michigan in a tiny little town of 600 people with a community of magnificent like-minded creatives all of whom think everyone in our community is a great assistant and helper to the full movement of the community."
Batali added: "New York, there's a lot of great people I love most of them, but there's enough a**holes in New York City that I'm done with that town. And I wish everyone the best there."
Batali initially gained recognition on The Food Network through "Molto Mario," later partnering with Joe Bastianich in New York. He also co-hosted ABC's syndicated show "The Chew."
In 2017, Batali's career fell apart due to multiple sexual harassment allegations and an accusation of sexual assault at The Spotted Pig, a West Village restaurant where he held an investment. A woman claimed he assaulted her while she was unconscious in a room at the restaurant.
Batali denied non-consensual sex and in 2019 a police investigation ended without charges being filed. In May 2022, Batali was acquitted of accusations that he had groped a woman at a Boston bar, marking a significant win for the chef, who opted out of a jury trial.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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