Chef Mario Batali Found Not Guilty in Sexual Misconduct Trial

“When the individual who committed such an abhorrent act is in a position of power or celebrity, the decision to report an assault can become all the more challenging and intimidating,” Hayden’s statement read.

He continued, “I’m grateful that the victim in this case made the decision to come forward, and to every survivor of sexual assault who makes that difficult decision.”

In 2018, Natali Tene, then 28, filed a civil lawsuit in Massachusetts, which was obtained by E! News at the time.

Per the documents, Tene alleged she saw Batali at Towne Stove and Spirits in Boston. There, she took a photo of him on her phone. Tene alleged that Batali noticed she was taking a photo and offered to take a selfie with her. Per her filing, Tene then claimed that Batali “grabbed and kissed Ms. Tene’s face, rubbed her breasts, grabbed her buttocks, put his hands between her legs and groped her groin area, and kept forcefully squeezing her face into his as he kissed her repeatedly.”