Accuser Claims Celebrity Chef Mario Batali Assaulted Her In Restaurant's 'Rape Room'
May 21 2018, Published 1:01 p.m. ET
Celebrity Chef Mario Batali stepped away from his empire on December 2017, after at least nine women came forward to accuse him of sexual misconduct, harassment and assault. Now, the alleged victims are bravely speaking out.
This Sunday on 60 Minutes, a woman who asked to remain anonymous told host Anderson Cooper that she was raped by Batali, 57, in The Spotted Pig's third floor — in a chamber that staffers used to refer to as the "rape room."
"It gets completely foggy for me. And this is — part of the messy, scary part for me, there is a part where it — it all disappears," said the woman, recalling the horrific details. "I remember a moment where I was on his lap, kissing him. Like, he was kissing me. And then I remember throwing up — in a toilet. And that is all."
She claimed she was drinking white wine at Batali's VIP table, when out of nowhere, she blacked out.
"I woke up by myself on the floor, I don't know where I am, of an empty room, wooden floor. I see broken bottles. The first thing I think is, 'I've been drugged.' That was the first thing I thought is, 'I've been-- I've been assaulted.'"
She claimed her leg was wounded with "deep scratches" when she woke up, and as soon as she lifted her skirt, she found Batali's "semen."
The alleged victim said she went to the hospital for treatment after the sexual assault, but refused to file a police report because she was "a young actress, no resources, no money."
Former The Spotted Pig waitress Natalie Saibel and ex-manager Jamie Seet confirmed the woman's account, claiming they saw footage (captured by the restaurant's security cameras) of Batali raping her while she was unconscious.
They told Anderson Cooper, 50, that they still regret not having alerted the police.
Mario Batali has vehemently denied her allegations.
Another waitress, Trish Nelson, told the show host that she truly believes Batali is a "monster" and that she's glad he is finally paying for his many crimes.
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