Mario Batali Fired From ‘The Chew’ After Sexual Misconduct Investigation
ABC has ended its relationship with Mario Batali, the veteran celebrity chef who had been on indefinite leave from The Chew since Monday following allegations of sexual misconduct. The network today made that split permanent, even though it noted that “we remain unaware of any type of inappropriate behavior involving him.”
“Upon completing its review into the allegations made against Mario Batali, ABC has terminated its relationship with him and he will no longer appear on The Chew,” an ABC spokesperson said in a statement. “While we remain unaware of any type of inappropriate behavior involving him and anyone affiliated with our show, ABC takes matters like this very seriously, as we are committed to a safe work environment and his past behavior violates our standards of conduct.”
Batali had stepped down from both his company — B&B Hospitality Group — and The Chew after the foodie blog Eater New York posted a lengthy exposé in which four women accused him of sexual harassment.
In addition to his co-hosting duties on ABC’s afternoon foodie show, Batali co-owns, with Joe Bastianich, B&B Hospitality Group, operating more than 20 restaurants around the world. They include the hugely popular Eataly restaurants and gourmet markets in New York and Los Angeles — the latter of which just opened last month.
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