Mario Batali, a celebrity chef, was accused of sexual misconduct and sexual assault by multiple women between 2016 and 2019. In 2017, he stepped down from the B&B Hospitality Group in partnership with Joe Bastianich after the accusations. In 2018, both B&B Hospitality Group and Eater bought out the cofounder in light of the accusations. In 2018 and 2019, Batali faced both civil and criminal assault charges from multiple women, all claiming that the chef inappropriately touched and sexually harassed them. In May 2022, Batali was acquitted in Boston Municipal Court by a judge who ruled that Batalis conduct during the alleged incident was "not befitting of a public person of his stature" but agreed with the defenses arguments that his accuser had credibility issues and was motivated by financial gain to make her accusation. In August 2022, Batali agreed to settle lawsuits by two women alleging he sexually assaulted them in separate encounters in Boston. In January 2023, Batali invested in a Michigan bakery and planned to launch a series of events designed to tackle the problem of food insecurity in northern Michigan.