Celebrity chef Mario Batali, the latest high-profile man to face allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct, has made a statement addressing his actions, and in a decision so bizarre it almost defies belief, included a recipe for homemade pizza dough cinnamon rolls alongside his apology.
Batali was recently fired from his show The Chew, which airs on the US ABC network, after a number of his former employees and a fellow chef accused him of groping or inappropriately touching them at his restaurants. His product line has also been removed from Walmart and Target.
In an email newsletter to his subscribers, the celebrity chef started out by apologising for his conduct, saying:
As many of you know, this week there has been some news coverage about some of my past behavior. I have made many mistakes and I am so very sorry that I have disappointed my friends, my family, my fans and my team. My behavior was wrong and there are no excuses. I take full responsibility.
Sharing the joys of Italian food, tradition and hospitality with all of you, each week, is an honor and privilege. Without the support of all of you – my fans – I would never have a forum in which to expound on this. I will work every day to regain your respect and trust.
This is where things took a turn for the bizarre, with Batali adding a PS to the message, saying:
“… in case you’re searching for a holiday-inspired breakfast, these Pizza Dough Cinnamon Rolls are a fan favorite.”
Yeah, sure, when you’re facing public disgrace after sexually harassing your staff, that’s probably as good a time as any to load up on carbs, right?
Mario Batali has since been criticised, with former Vanity Fair and New Yorker editor Tina Brown slamming him during a CNN interview on Saturday. “How about pigs in a blanket, Mario?” she said, later Tweeting that his apology was “bungled” by the decision to include a recipe.
Great time chatting with @smerconish today. Told him my advice for Mario Batali — and a different recipe for his newsletter — after that bungled apology. Watch: https://t.co/Rf6l2cSSGo
— Tina Brown (@TinaBrownLM) December 16, 2017
Comedian Whitney Cummings was equally unimpressed:
https://twitter.com/WhitneyCummings/status/942058394260684800
https://twitter.com/WhitneyCummings/status/942068937335832576
