NEW YORK — The investigation of celebrity chef Mario Batali is reportedly widening Monday following a “60 Minutes” report in which several women accused him of sexual assault. CBS News has learned that the New York City Police Department (NYPD) is investigating at least one sexual assault claim against Batali.
The New York Times reported another sexual assault claim against the chef. The Times reports that in March, a woman told investigators that Batali drugged and sexually assaulted her in January 2004 at his New York City restaurant The Spotted Pig. They said the woman told police she had been drinking that night and remembers waking up to Batali raping her.
“I vehemently deny any allegations of sexual assault. My past behavior has been deeply inappropriate and I am sincerely remorseful for my actions,” Batali said in a statement Monday.
On “60 Minutes” Sunday, a woman who did not want her identity revealed, said she believes Batali, in her words, did “something very wrong” to her in 2005.
“I looked on my skirt — there were two areas. It looked like DNA,” she said, saying it looked like semen.
“You believe he broke the law with you?” Anderson Cooper asked. “Yes,” she replied.
She said she called a crisis hotline and went to a hospital for an examination. She also said she spoke with a detective at the NYPD’s Special Victims’ Division, but decided not to file a police report.
CBS News legal analyst Rikki Klieman said Batali could face charges because of a change in the law in 2015.
“Now the position of the police department and most legal scholars would be that once the new law happened in 2015, these old cases are fair game,” Klieman said.
The group that manages several of Batali’s restaurants, B&B Hospitality Group, issued a statement after the “60 Minutes” piece aired, saying the accounts they heard were “chilling and deeply disturbing.”
They said it was the first they learned of the allegation and they plan to end their partnership with Batali.
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