Batali: The Fall of a Superstar Chef premieres on Discovery Plus Sept. 22. The documentary is about Mario Batali, the famous chef and restaurateur, who has faced numerous accusations of sexual misconduct.
“This astonishing glimpse into the restaurant world examines sexual harassment concealed within the industry, causing many employees to suffer in silence or leave their jobs rather than confront a celebrity chef or powerful owner who can ruin their career,” goes the Discovery Plus description.
Singeli Agnew directs.
Batali’s restaurants included Babbo and Del Posto in New York before he sold his stakes. He was on multiple Food Network shows, including Molto Mario and Iron Chef America. He was also on ABC cooking/talk show The Chew.
A woman who reached a settlement with Batali identifies herself publicly in the film, and offers a detailed account of what she called a sexual assault at The Spotted Pig, a Manhattan gastropub in which Batali was an investor.
Agnew has worked on The Weekly, a documentary series involving the NY Times that airs on FX. ■
