(FILES) This file photo taken on October 17, 2016 shows Chef Mario Batali at the White House in Washington, DC,  during a preview of the state dinner to be held for Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and his wife Agnese Landini. Celebrity chef Mario Batali stepped away from his eponymous gastronomic empire on December 11, 2017, after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct over the course of at least two decades. In allegations published by the food website Eater, four women speaking on condition of anonymity said Batali -- recognizable for his generous physique, flaming red ponytail and signature orange Croc shoes -- groped them and made inappropriate comments.  / AFP PHOTO / NICHOLAS KAMMNICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images
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