Mario Batali will let a judge decide his fate, not a jury, as he stands trial for allegedly groping and kissing a woman without her consent at a Boston bar in 2017.
The celebrity chef waived his right to a jury in court Monday, minutes before his trial was supposed to begin, and will instead proceed with a bench trial, according to the Boston Globe.
Natali Tene has accused Batali, 61, of assaulting her at Towne Stove and Spirits in March 2017 when she asked the former Food Network host for a selfie.
While posing for the photo, Batali kissed her and “groped her breast, butt and crotch area,” Suffolk Assistant District Attorney Nina Bonelli said during her opening statement Monday.
Photos of Batali “groping her body, her breast, her butt and in between her legs” will allegedly confirm Tene’s claims.
Tene also claimed that Batali, who was drunk, invited her back to his hotel but she declined.
Batali’s lawyer, Anthony Fuller, claimed that Tene only came forward in a money grab after other women accused the chef of harassment and assault, according to the Globe.
“This was fabricated for money and for fun,” Fuller said.
If convicted of indecent assault and battery, Batali faces up to 2 1/2 years behind bars.
Batali has been accused multiple times of sexual assault and harassment and settled misconduct cases with at least 20 men and women for about $600,000 in New York last year. He cut ties with all of his restaurants in 2019.
———
