Mario Batali just unintentionally discovered the one time when cinnamon rolls, a normally delicious treat, are unwanted. Friday night, the famous Crocs-wearing chef sent a statement to his newsletter subscribers to address the multiple allegations of sexual assault against him, which he concluded with a recipe for his Pizza Dough Cinnamon Rolls — a “fan favorite”!
After Eater published an investigation into Batali’s alleged behavior last Tuesday, in which four women accused him of sexual assault, a New York Times report alleged Batali had also assaulted a women in a New York City restaurant’s so-called “rape room,” and an additional woman came forward on CBS This Morning.
While Batali told Eater that the behavior described in the story does “match up with ways [he has] acted,” he had yet to apologize to all his loyal newsletter subscribers. In truth, his email didn’t start out horribly.
“As many of you know, this week there has been some news coverage about some of my past behavior,” Batali wrote.“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.”
And then, after a paragraph about his love of Italian food and his supportive fans, came the jarring kicker: “ps. in case you’re searching for a holiday-inspired breakfast, these Pizza Dough Cinnamon Rolls are a fan favorite,” followed by a recipe link.
Is this just the beginning of a whole new genre of bad apologies from restaurant-industry leaders? Looking forward to the next accused figure apologizing by spelling out sorry with charcuterie.