What to Know
- The NYPD will not be filing charges in the sexual assault claims against celebrity chef Mario Batali
- A source said police have determined there is not probable cause to make an arrest
- Batali has previously said, "My past behavior has been deeply inappropriate and I am sincerely remorseful for my actions"
Police in New York won't file charges against celebrity chef Mario Batali, who's been accused by numerous women of sexual misconduct.
A source familiar with the investigation said police have determined there is not probable cause to make an arrest in connection to claims by two women that they were sexually assaulted.
Prosecutors were consulted in the police investigation and agreed there wasn't enough evidence to move forward with a case, the source said.
The NYPD had been looking into several allegations against Batali following a "60 Minutes" broadcast last May in which an unnamed woman accused Batali of drugging and sexually assaulting her in 2005.
She said she remembered joining him for a glass of wine at a Manhattan restaurant, then waking up on the floor feeling drugged and attacked. She said she talked to the police but never filed a report.
Police were unable to find any witnesses or evidence that might help corroborate claims, the source said.
Local
Batali stepped down from daily operations at his restaurant empire and cooking show "The Chew" in December 2017 after four women accused him of inappropriate touching over a period of 20 years.
He has said in a statement, "My past behavior has been deeply inappropriate and I am sincerely remorseful for my actions," though he denied the accusation of sexual assault that was broadcast on "60 Minutes" last year.
