For the first time, the woman who accused renowned chef Mario Batali of sexually abusing her while she was unconscious has come forward. The allegedly horrific occurrence, according to Eva DeVirgilis, 43, happened in 2005. DeVirgilis told how Batali, who was her boss at the time, had asked her to a private meal. In 2005, they first met at the Spotted Pig, a gastropub that is now shuttered.
According to reports, DeVirgilis awoke to discover herself on the floor of the restaurant's private dining area. According to The Upcoming York Times, she spoke about the alleged assault in the new documentary "Batali: The Fall of a Superstar Chef." It is scheduled to air on Discovery+.
In Boston, the chef recently resolved two lawsuits with two women who had accused Batali of groping them in public in 2017. The former co-host of "The Chew" has not been charged despite three possible assaults being the subject of an investigation by the New York Police Department. More than 20 workers who claimed they were sexually assaulted at Batali and his former business partner Joe Bastianich's restaurants received a $600,000 compensation. 2019 saw Bastianich remove Batali as a shareholder in the B&B Hospitality restaurant conglomerate.
DeVirgilis released the medical report from the day following the alleged sexual assault by Batali in the documentary. Multiple abrasions and bruised ribs were noted in the report. DeVirgilis, who was 26 at the time, also asserted that she might have been under the influence of drugs when she was attacked.
DeVirgilis, an aspiring actor at the time, had been working full-time at Babbo for a year when the alleged attack allegedly occurred. She managed bookings at the restaurant where the incident happened. On the other side, she allegedly hosted in the nights. She confessed to NYT, "I was so naive. "I was aware that it was bad luck to be alone in a stairwell or to cross Central Park at night. I had no idea that my billionaire celebrity employer should be feared in public.
DeVirgilis remarked that she was delighted to be welcomed to the Spotted Pig, where Batali and others frequently congregated in the private area after hours. I figured I'd have a couple drinks with the group, take the metro home," she remarked. On the alleged assault day, though, she noticed that Batali was waiting alone in the room with a limo and a bottle of Prosecco. He had a wife. My boss was him, she declared. "It wasn't at all what I expected it to be," I said.
DeVirgilis recalled the chef giving her a second glass of wine while feeling inebriated. She informed Batali that she wanted to end the conversation since she had work the following morning, but Batali allegedly instructed her to forget about it. The next thing she recalled was waking up at the restaurant on a hardwood floor. She discovered bruises on her body as well as what seemed to be semen on her clothing. She said that after Batali gave her an intense kiss, she puked. She added that Batali had simply abandoned her on the restaurant floor without waiting for her to collect herself, calling it the "most terrifying moment" in retrospect.
Eventually DeVirgilis awoke and left for home. She questioned Batali about what had happened the previous evening when he called in the following morning as she was leaving for work. She was instructed to move him to the kitchen by Batali "tersely." According to reports, DeVirgilis contacted a hotline for rape emergencies and saw a Mount Sinai Hospital counsellor. According to a hospital report, she received a rape kit, dosages of oral contraceptives, and AZT antibiotics there. According to the hospital report, the patient "says that she is unsure of going through with the police report because her boss is a powerful person who can blacklist her from the industry."
