Mario Batali was hit with a second round of sexual assault accusations Tuesday, bringing the total number of women who have come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct to eight.
Three of the incidents allegedly happened at a 2010 Vanity Fair party hosted at Batali's L.A. hotspot Osteria Mozza.
Holly Gunderson, special events director for the restaurant, told the Washington Post that Batali arrived at the event already drunk, and upon greeting her said, "I want to see you naked in my hot tub back at the hotel."
Gunderson says she tried to ignore the comment, but later in the night, as she leaned over a table, Batali allegedly put his hand “between my legs, up and under, so his hand went on my vagina outside of my clothes. And then he moved his hand backward. So, you know, under my butt. And then continued walking.”
Another Vanity Fair staffer who was charged with helping Batali back to his car after the party claims he propositioned her to make out. When she declined, the celebrity chef allegedly grabbed her arm and told her, “You’re making a big mistake. You should get in the car and we should make out.”
Batali acknowledged his behavior at the party in a statement to the Post.
"I apologize profoundly to the people I have mistreated and hurt. The entire day of events surrounding the party I was the personification of idiocy, a drunken and idiotic fool, with no respect for the staff at Osteria Mozza, the guests nor for the restaurant itself. That behavior was horribly wrong, shameful and degrading and there are no excuses. I wish I could have the day back and do it right. I take full responsibility for my deplorable actions and am deeply sorry for any pain, humiliation or anguish I caused.”
Another woman claims Batali grabbed her butt while she was employed at his NYC restaurant Babbo, while yet another woman working at the West Village eatery The Spotted Pig says he yanked up on her thong while she was bending over to retrieve an item from the floor.
Source: Washington Post
