Mario Batali is no longer involved with his restaurant empire, The New York Times reported Wednesday.
The celebrity chef quickly stepped down from everyday operations at his restaurants after acknowledging allegations of sexual harassment in December 2017. Now, his restaurant partnership with the Bastianich family is completely over, the new head of his former restaurant empire told the Times.
The former Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group once oversaw dozens of restaurants, but the 16 still remaining will now operate under new management. Tanya Bastianich Manuali will now "head day-to-day operations" at the unnamed new company. Batali "will no longer profit from the restaurants in any way, shape or form," Bastianich Manuali confirmed to the Times, and he will also sell his shares in the Eataly chain of Italian food shops.
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Along with losing his restaurants, Batali was dropped as a co-host from the ABC daytime program The Chew after the allegations surfaced. The show was eventually canceled. The New York City Police Department had investigated the claims against Batali, but closed its probe in early January. Batali did not deny the allegations, instead saying his "behavior was wrong and there are no excuses."
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