Latest news with #DeLaurentiis
USA Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Why Giada De Laurentiis 'cried' because of disgraced ex-Food Network star Mario Batali
Giada De Laurentiis is slamming disgraced chef Mario Batali. The former Food Network star appeared on Samah Dada's "On the Menu" YouTube show and detailed how she wanted the now-embattled Batali to pen the foreword for her debut cookbook "Everyday Italian" released in 2005. "This is a person we're not supposed to talk about, but we're going to," De Laurentiis teased during the episode about Batali, once one of the most famous Italian chefs in the world. De Laurentiis told Dada that she asked Batali to write the foreword because he was "a legend in the Italian space" and she "felt like his stamp of approval would've been huge for me." Mario Batali exits restaurant business 15 months after sexual misconduct allegations But the "Giada at Home" alum said she "cried" when she read it "because I realized, 'Oh, he's basically saying that I've gotten to where I've gotten, and I've had this little bit of success that I had, because I have big boobs, and that if he had boobs, he would even be much further.'" USA TODAY has reached out to reps for Batali for comment. "He wrote that in the foreword?" Dada asked. "Yes," De Laurentiis said, adding that Batali did it "because I'm, like, a joke, right? Like, to him, it was like a little bit of a joke." After reading it, De Laurentiis called her editor "in tears" and said, "Clearly, I can't use this. So now what do I do?" Her editor chose to have the foreword rewritten and sent to Batali for approval. "That's basically what a lot of people figured. Cute girl with big boobs, so that's why they're watching her," De Laurentiis claimed people thought about her rise to fame. In 2023, De Laurentiis left her longtime home at the Food Network and now works primarily on her buzzy Italian food company Giadzy. In the published version of "Everyday Italian," Batali still made references to De Laurentiis' appearance, writing that she caught his eye while he was watching the Food Network and stopped on her show of the same name. "The first thing I noticed was that everything on the screen was beautiful — both the host and the food, which looked delicious and real and natural," Batali wrote. "Then I noticed that she really knew what she was talking about. And I realized that despite her movie-star looks, Giada isn't on television because she's merely attractive; she's a real Italian girl who can cook," Batali continued. "I was hooked." He also wrote that "it turns out that Giada is smart, Italian-speaking, and family-oriented — the three qualities my grandma hoped I'd find in a girl to marry. (Too late for that.) She's also a great cook, highly knowledgeable about food, and a huge amount of fun to be around — the three qualities I'd hope to find in a television partner." Mario Batali admitted to sexual harassment of multiple women Batali's downfall began in 2017 when the food website Eater New York posted a story featuring allegations by multiple anonymous women, including claims that he had groped their breasts or buttocks. "I apologize to the people I have mistreated and hurt," Eater quoted him as saying at the time. "Although the identities of most of the individuals mentioned in these stories have not been revealed to me, much of the behavior described does, in fact, match up with ways I have acted." "That behavior was wrong and there are no excuses," Batali continued. "I take full responsibility and am deeply sorry for any pain, humiliation or discomfort I have caused to my peers, employees, customers, friends and family." Reports of his alleged sexual misconduct prompted police investigations. The internationally recognized chef was well-known to the general public after producing a plethora of cookbooks, launching a popular line of pasta sauces, opening his restaurants and making frequent TV appearances. He starred on the Food Network series "Molto Mario" and boasted a co-host gig on the now-cancelled ABC daytime show "The Chew," which also featured chefs Carla Hall and Michael Symon, wellness expert Daphne Oz, and "What Not to Wear" alum Clinton Kelly. Contributing: Nathan Bomey, Zlati Meyer
2 days ago
- Entertainment
Giada De Laurentiis accuses Mario Batali of making sexist comments in foreword of her 1st cookbook
Before the age of social media, Giada De Laurentiis helped create the blueprint for modern culinary multi-hyphenate women as a Food Network host, cookbook author and chef. But she says her road to success wasn't without adversity behind the scenes. In the most recent episode of Samah Dada's YouTube series, "On The Menu," De Laurentiis opened up about an emotional incident she claims involved fellow chef Mario Batali more than 23 years ago, during her early days as the host of "Everyday Italian." "This is a person we're not supposed to talk about, but we're going to," De Laurentiis said in the July 29 episode. "I remember from my first cookbook, 'Everyday Italian,' asking Mario Batali for a foreword. Because he's really the main guy I had worked with, he's a legend in the Italian space. Of course we know what happened afterwards, but in that time, he was. And I felt like his stamp of approval would have been huge for me." "He said he would, and then he wrote it," she continued. "And when I read it, I cried, because I realized, ah, he's basically saying that I've gotten to where I've gotten and had this little bit of success that I had because I have big boobs, and that if he had boobs, he would even be much further ... because I'm like a joke, right? Like, to him, it was like a little bit of a joke." De Laurentiis said she called her editor, Pam Krauss of Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Crown Publishing Group, "in tears." "I was like, 'Clearly I can't use this, so now what do I do?'" she recalled. De Laurentiis claims Krauss told her they would "rewrite" the foreword and send it back to Batali "just for approval," which she said they did. "But I will never forget," she said, referring to Batali's alleged original foreword. "That's basically what a lot of people figured. Cute girl with big boobs, and so that's why they're watching her. And that's why she's successful." ABC News has reached out to Krauss for confirmation of De Laurentiis' account. Batali, who rose to fame as the host of Food Network's "Molto Mario" from 1996 to 2004 and as co-host of the former ABC daytime cooking show "The Chew" from 2011 to 2017, came under public scrutiny after being accused of sexual misconduct in December 2017, amid the #MeToo movement. Four women accused Batali of inappropriate touching, which prompted him to take a leave of absence from both his restaurant business and "The Chew" that year. In a statement immediately following the initial of sexual misconduct accusations, Batali said he was "so very sorry" for disappointing his friends, family, co-workers and fans, adding at the time, "My behavior was wrong and there are no excuses. I take full responsibility." Batali was eventually terminated from the "The Chew," which was canceled in June 2018, and he sold his restaurant holdings a year later. In a statement at the time of Batali's termination from "The Chew," ABC said, "While we remain unaware of any type of inappropriate behavior involving him and anyone affiliated with our show, ABC takes matters like this very seriously as we are committed to a safe work environment and his past behavior violates our standards of conduct." Batali was later accused of sexual assault by several other women, and in 2018, the New York City Police Department confirmed it had opened criminal investigations for two separate sexual assault allegations against Batali, one of which was reported on "60 Minutes" that same year. In a statement to ABC News at the time, Batali said in part, "I vehemently deny any allegations of sexual assault. My past behavior has been deeply inappropriate and I am sincerely remorseful for my actions." The NYPD ultimately declined to file charges in those cases, stating that they could not find enough evidence to make an arrest. In 2022, in the only case involving Batali that went to trial, he was found not guilty of indecent assault and battery, in connection with a 2017 incident in Boston. Batali has maintained that he is not guilty of the allegations in that case. De Laurentiis stepped away from Food Network in 2023 after 21 years. She has written and published 11 cookbooks, founded an Italian e-commerce market and lifestyle brand, Giadzi, and most recently returned on-camera with the new Amazon Prime series "Giada in My Kitchen." Dada thanked De Laurentiis on social media Tuesday for sharing a "powerful conversation" with her during their July 29 interview and for "being so vulnerable and personal." The post, which featured a clip from the interview, has amassed millions of views, thousands of likes and hundreds of comments combined across TikTok and Instagram.
Evening Standard
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Evening Standard
'We want him': Napoli owner issues Alejandro Garnacho statement as Man Utd ace offered exit route
But De Laurentiis would no doubt point to Scott McTominay as a prime example of a player who was generally undervalued and underappreciated at United before leaving - to join Napoli last summer - and flourishing, in many eyes becoming 'twice the player' as he played a pivotal role in his new club winning the Scudetto while picking up the Serie A 'Most Valuable Player' award for his efforts.
Daily Mail
02-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Napoli president 'personally intervenes in Darwin Nunez negotiations' as gap in valuation with Liverpool revealed
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has reportedly taken to personally conducting transfer negotiations for Darwin Nunez as the Italian champions look to seal a deal. Nunez joined Liverpool in a £85million club record transfer three years ago but he appears ready to leave after taking on a bit-part role under Arne Slot. The 25-year-old bagged five goals and three assists in the Premier League last season as Liverpool romped to victory but only started on eight occasions. He appears likely to move on from Anfield this summer and Napoli, Atletico Madrid and Al-Hilal have all turned their attention to the Uruguayan. Antonio Conte 's side are keen to bolster their attack as they look to reduce their reliance on Romelu Lukaku and challenge for a second consecutive Serie A title and in the latter stages of the Champions League next season. And De Laurentiis has now personally engaged in negotiations as he looks to push through a move, according to Corriere dello Sport. While Nunez is said to be open to joining the Naples outfit, talks have stalled in recent weeks. Napoli's president therefore decided to take it into his own hands, personally speaking to Fali Ramadani, who is brokering the deal. The Serie A champions have not yet agreed a transfer fee with Liverpool but Liverpool are thought to be holding out for €60m (£51m). But Napoli are reluctant to offer more than €43m (£37m), despite it being less than half of the fee Liverpool paid Benfica in 2022. Udinese forward Lorenzo Lucca is Napoli's alternative but the 24-year-old Italy international would cost at least €40m (£34m). If Nunez were to complete a move to Napoli he would link up with a number of ex-Premier League stars. Former Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay won Serie A Player of the Season in May, while he lines up with Scotland team-mate and ex-Chelsea Billy Gilmour. Kevin De Bryune completed a move to the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium last month and Rasmus Hojlund and Trevoh Chalobah have also been linked with the club.
France 24
12-06-2025
- Sport
- France 24
De Bruyne signs for Napoli after leaving Man City
Film mogul De Laurentiis posted a picture of himself shaking hands with De Bruyne on social media with the message "welcome Kevin!" Belgium midfielder De Bruyne has reportedly signed a two-year deal with an option for a third at Napoli, where he will join up with international teammate Romelu Lukaku and former Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay. The 33-year-old left City at the end of this past season after a trophy-packed decade in Manchester, where under Pepe Guardiola he won six Premier League titles and in 2023 the Champions League. He has however suffered from a series of physical problems in recent seasons, with two hamstring injuries causing him to miss significant chunks of the last two campaigns. Napoli have brought in one of Europe's top midfielders as the Italians try to bolster a squad which next season will defend the Scudetto while also having the extra fixture pressure of the expanded Champions League. Antonio Conte's Napoli beat Inter Milan to the Serie A title on the final day of the season, their second league crown in three years. But they had no European football clogging up their calendar, unlike Inter who got to the Champions League final only to be thumped 5-0 by Paris Saint-Germain.
