BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio/TTWN) — Celebrity chef Mario Batali is due in a Boston court Friday to face a criminal charge of indecent assault and battery.
The charge reportedly stems from allegations that Batali kissed and groped a woman against her will at a Boston restaurant in 2017.
According to The Boston Globe, the woman said Batali grabbed her chest and kissed her face and touched her groin at Towne Stove and Spirits in the Back Bay.
If convicted, Batali could face over two years in prison and register as a sex offender. An attorney for Batali said the celebrity chef denies the allegations.
Several other women have previously come forward to allege sexual misconduct by Batali.
In December of 2017, Batali stepped down from his day-to-day involvement in his restaurants and cooking show "The Chew" on ABC Television.
Batali evenutIn March, Batali In March Batali sold all of his shares in all of his restaurants to the Bastianich Family.