Nate Raymond

BOSTON (Reuters), – Mario Batali, a celebrity chef and restaurateur is on trial for allegedly forcing a woman to sex with him. This case stems solely from #MeToo-era sexual harassment claims and assault allegations.

Batali, who was charged with indecent assault of and battery on Monday in Boston Municipal Court after a victim of sexually abusive behavior by the chef came forward to tell her story.

Natali Tene claimed that Batali attacked her when she posed with her for “selfie” photographs in 2017. Towne Stove and Spirits is a bar near Boston’s Eataly (an Italian restaurant and market chain) at which he was a part.

Batali’s attorneys have called these claims false and argued that Tene made the claim to police in order to support a lawsuit against her to get a settlement. Batali’s lawyer Anthony Fuller said that “our defense is she lies, and lies every time.”

Tene’s lawyer refused to comment.

It is the first of only a few celebrity criminal cases. This case follows the #MeToo campaign in 2017. The movement exposed extensive patterns of abuse and harassment of women across many areas of American society.

Batali, if convicted would be facing up to two-and-half years in prison and the possibility of being registered as a sexual offender.

Tene was accused of bringing her account to the prosecution after Eater.com published in December 2017 allegations made by four women that Batali had touched them improperly for at least 20 years.

Batali was fired from ABC’s cooking and talk program “The Chew” after the report. Batali also cut all ties to restaurants such as Del Posto in New York and Babbo, which he partially owned. Although he denied the allegations of sexual assault, he apologized for his “deeply inappropriate” behaviour.

Batali and the business partner he was with agreed to pay $600,000. to 20 employees in settlement of claims made by New York’s Attorney General that they were sexually harassed at their Manhattan restaurants.

Batali’s lawyers have been negotiating with prosecutors over the evidence that Judge James Stanton would permit jurors.

Although Tene is said to have come forward in solidarity with women, Stanton stated that they cannot ask about her allegations.

Stanton also stated that Batali’s lawyers could not, at trial, play the voicemail of a friend who left it with Tene at the bar. He said he was not interested in seeing “some guy up the river for an erroneous or incorrect thing.”

Batali could be interviewed by Tene’s attorneys about a questionnaire that she answered in February 2018. It was part of jury selection in an assault case.

Batali’s attorneys obtained text messages that Batali sent to her friend, which showed that she had searched the defendant online. She wrote that she “totally did” it, despite being told not to do outside research and to be open-minded.

The text messages were revealed by Middlesex County prosecutors. They agreed to vacate the conviction of the man due to jury taint, and Tene was charged with contempt. Court records indicate that she reached a settlement to dismiss the case in one year after a period on administrative probation.