Actress Siobhan Thompson Accuses Mario Batali Of Sexual Harassment
On December 11, four women came forward to accuse celebrity chef Mario Batali of sexual harassment. Just one day later, a fifth woman has alleged that Batali groped her too. Comedian and actress Siobhan Thompson, formerly a hostess at a Batali restaurant, told CBS This Morning that the chef touched her breasts without consent.
Thompson, who is the first voice to use her name on record against Batali, also spoke of the chef's inappropriate behavior over social media.
"I worked at Del Posto (his fanciest restaurant in NYC) and can confirm that not only was Mario Batali very handsy, they would often serve us pasta with cut up hot dogs as family meal. Bye bish," she wrote on Twitter. "It's fun when the ones you're waiting for come out!"
I worked at Del Posto (his fanciest restaurant in NYC) and can confirm that not only was Mario Batali very handsy, they would often serve us pasta with cut up hot dogs as family meal. Bye bish 👋👋👋 https://t.co/nZsXHcpAGq
— Siobhan Thompson (@vornietom) December 11, 2017
It's fun when the ones you're waiting for come out!
— Siobhan Thompson (@vornietom) December 11, 2017
When someone asked why she never said anything about the Batali's misconduct before, she replied, "Lmao dude I've been telling anyone who would listen for years. Sorry I didn't come to ur moms house to tell you personally?"
The four other women who detailed their accounts to Eater said Batali rubbed one's breasts with his bare hand, grabbed another from behind and held her tightly against him, and groped another, asking her to straddle him. Batali has since apologized and voluntarily stepped down from day-to-day operations involving his restaurants and TV shows including namesake Mario Molto and The Chew, which he's co-hosted since 2011.
As more women band together in an effort to fight back against male-dominated and abusive restaurant environments, they very well could be (and should be) a slice of the most inspiring food stories of 2017.