Superstar chef Mario Batali was cleared of charges related to sexual misconduct allegations against him Tuesday after a less than two-day trial.
Boston Municipal Court Judge James Stanton found Batali not guilty of indecent battery and assault, according to the New York Post. Batali waived his right to a jury trial after he was charged with groping a woman at a Boston bar, the outlet noted.
“Its an understatement to say that Mr. Batali did not cover himself in glory on the night in question. His conduct and his appearance and demeanor were not befitting on a public person of his stature at that time,” Stanton said prior to announcing his decision, the outlet continued. He went on to state that the case was “about credibility” and that Batali’s accuser had “significant credibility issues,” the NY Post wrote.
Batali’s lawyer, Anthony Fuller, went to lengths to discredit Natali Tene, his accuser, the NY Post reported. (RELATED: ‘Shut The F*ck Up’: JK Rowling Says Her Ex-Husband Tried To Make Her ‘Comply,’ Won’t Give In To Cancel Culture)
REPORT: Prince Andrew Settles With Victim Of Child Sex Assault Out Of Courthttps://t.co/v3erVnM76a
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Tene filed a suit against the chef in August 2019 in which she claimed that Batali assaulted her after she asked to take a selfie with him. Tene claimed that the chef had “grabbed and kissed” her face, rubbed her breasts and groped her in other areas repeatedly.
Multiple women accused Batali of sexual assault in 2018, apparently referring to the chef as “the Red Menace.” They claimed that he would belittle them, grab their breasts and reportedly asked for “sexy pictures.”