BOSTON — Celebrity chef Mario Batali is facing charges following an accusation that he groped and kissed a woman in a Boston restaurant in 2017, The Wrap reported.
CNN reported Batali is facing an indecent assault and battery charge in connection with an alleged incident that took place March 31, 2017, the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office said Wednesday.
The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office told CNN the chef is expected to be arraigned Friday. Although the victim was not named, CNN reported the case matches details in a 2018 suit filed by a Boston-area woman named Natali Tene.
Tene’s suit came months after allegations of sexual misconduct first emerged against Batali in December 2017.
CNN could not reach Tene’s attorney for comment Wednesday in relation to Batali’s charges. Anthony Fuller, Batali’s attorney, says his client denies the charges.
“The charges, brought by the same individual without any new basis, are without merit,” Fuller told CNN. “He intends to fight the allegations vigorously and we expect the outcome to fully vindicate Mr. Batali."
In the fallout from the 2017 allegations, Batali left the daytime cooking and talk show “The Chew” and was officially fired days later.
In 2018, the New York Police Department opened investigations into sexual misconduct allegations against Batali, but officials closed the investigation in January without filing charges, CNN reported.