Mario Batali became a household name in the ’90s on the Food Network where he shared his passion for Italian cooking and orange-colored footwear with the American public on his show “Molto Mario.” His reputation as a chef continued to rise when he was selected as one of the original chefs on “Iron Chef America,” where he dazzled viewers with creative dishes and his signature cool demeanor. That all changed in 2017 when he was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women. Following that, we saw show cancellations, restaurant closures, lawsuits, and even a criminal charge (of which he was found not guilty). The entire dramatic story has since been turned into a Discovery+ documentary.
The biggest surprise from Batali’s recent post — his first since Halloween 2017 — wasn’t that he posted at all, or that he may be attempting a comeback of sorts. It was the support his post received. It appears there may be an unexpectedly large audience ready to welcome Batali back to the public spotlight, despite his fall from grace in recent years. However, whether or not the world is really ready to welcome him back to the stage has yet to be seen.