Actress Claims Mario Batali Was “Handsy” When She Worked At His Restaurant

The aftermath of the sexual harassment allegations against Mario Batali continues to unfold after five women have come forward with accusations about the celebrity chef’s inappropriate behavior, one of them being actress Siobhan Thompson who said that he was “handsy” while she worked at his high-end New York City restaurant Del Posto.

“I worked at Del Posto (his fanciest restaurant in NYC) and can confirm that not only was Mario Batali very handsy, they would often serve us pasta with cut up hot dogs as [a] family meal,” tweeted Thompson. She also shared her story on CBS This Morning, claiming that Batali inappropriately touched her breasts.

The actress joins four other women, three of them being former employees like Thompson, that accused Batali of sexual harassment.

The allegations came out in an article earlier this week on Eater LA. A former employee claimed that Batali “repeatedly grabbed her from behind and held her tightly against his body” while another said he groped her and said “compelled her to straddle him.” The third also claims that he grabbed her breasts at a party, but it was at a time when she no longer worked for him.

Batali has since stepped down from both his company and ABC’s The Chew for an indefinite period. Batali co-owns, with Joe Bastianich, B&B Hospitality Group, operating more than 20 restaurants around the world, including the hugely popular Eataly restaurants and gourmet markets in New York and Los Angeles.

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