Mario Batali's Dramatic Downfall Is Now A Documentary
There was a time when a foodie fan could spend their morning watching chef Mario Batali waltz through a kitchen in orange Crocs and prepare an Italian meal for friends on his show "Molto Mario." Until in 2005, Food Network canceled Batali's show and before trying to reboot the show, a lawsuit against the chef over sexual misconduct allegations was announced. The allegations against Batali resulted in one of the biggest scandals to ever hit the Food Network.
Now that Batali's sexual misconduct lawsuit has finally been settled, some might think the chef will (rightly) disappear from the spotlight. And while Batali himself will likely remain in the shadows, the story of his success, failure, and abuses of power has been turned into a documentary on Discovery+ called, "Batali: The Fall of a Superstar Chef."
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
What is the Batali documentary about?
"Batali: The Fall of a Superstar Chef" is a documentary about celebrity chef Mario Batali's fall from grace after multiple employees came forward to accuse the chef of sexual misconduct. But it's not just about Batali. The documentary also focuses on the sexual harassment embedded in the culture of the restaurant industry, which causes, "many employees to suffer in silence or leave their jobs rather than confront a celebrity chef or powerful owner who can ruin their career" (via Discovery+).
Apparently, for some, Batali's lecherous behavior was an open secret, and according to a reviewer in Food Sided, "In an industry where 70% of the women who work in it say they've been sexually harassed, any vehicle that brings such abhorrent behavior to the fore demands to be viewed." But some people actually feel the documentary didn't go far enough in uncovering what really happened behind the scenes. Decider writer Jonathan Beecher Field believed that the film left out perhaps the worst parts of Batali's behavior, but said that it still shed a serious light on the unfortunate prevalence of rape culture in society. Batali may have given up all of his restaurants, but it's clear that his actions have left a scar on the restaurant industry.