Celebrity Chef Mario Batali Pleads Not Guilty To Indecent Assault And Battery Charge

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Celebrity chef Mario Batali pleaded not guilty Friday to an indecent assault and battery charge that stems from an alleged 2017 incident with a woman in a Boston restaurant.

Batali, 58, entered the not guilty plea during his arraignment in Boston Municipal Court. It’s the first felony criminal charge the chef has faced since he's been accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct.

He was released on his own recognizance and was ordered to stay away from the alleged victim unless he is called for a deposition in her civil lawsuit against him.

According to court records, on March 31, 2017, Batali was seated at Towne Stove and Spirits in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood when a woman noticed him and tried to surreptitiously take his picture. Batali saw her and said "come here right now," according to court documents.

"Mr. Batali denies the allegations in both this criminal complaint and the civil complaint filed last August," Fuller said in a statement. "The charges, brought by the same individual without any new basis, are without merit. He intends to fight the allegations vigorously and we expect the outcome to fully vindicate Mr. Batali."

The same woman filed a lawsuit against Batali last year, alleging she asked the chef for a photo and he tried to kiss her, put his hands between her legs and groped her breasts, according to the Boston Globe.

By Aaron Katersky and Kate Hodgson
May 24, 2019
Source and complete article: ABCNEWS.Go.com