Celebrity chef Mario Batali on trial for sexual misconduct case

If convicted, Mario Batali could face up to two-and-a-half years in jail and be required to register as a sex offender. Photo: AP

Celebrity chef Mario Batali’s pandemic-delayed trial on sexual misconduct allegations opens Monday (May 9) in Boston.

Batali pleaded not guilty to a charge of indecent assault and battery in 2019, stemming from accusations that he forcibly kissed and groped a woman after taking a selfie with her at a Boston restaurant in 2017. The woman says Batali noticed her photographing him and invited her to take one together, then touched and kissed her repeatedly without her consent.