Celebrity Chefs You Wouldn't Want To Meet In Real Life

This feature contains allegations of sexual misconduct, misogyny, and racism. 

Celebrity chefs tend to have charismatic on-screen personas, but some fail to live up to that charm in real life. Even if you use so many of their recipes that they feel like a part of the family, you might think twice before meeting culinary stars with sketchy histories. Whether they were exposed for treating their employees like trash, sexually harassing women, or going on racist tirades, there are some celebrity chefs who you might not want to invite to your dream dinner party. 

And no one is a better example than Mario Batali. In 2017, multiple women came forward to Eater with allegations of sexual misconduct against the "Iron Chef" star. He eventually surrendered ownership of all his restaurants after more women came forward with sexual harassment allegations. Batali fessed up to his actions and apologized to the women he mistreated, in a statement published by Eater. "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," he said. "That behavior was wrong and there are no excuses." He later settled two civil lawsuits against him out of court, as The Guardian reported.

But he's not the only one. Unfortunately, there are many other celebrity chefs who may be nowhere near as likable as they might seem on TV.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

John Besh might be best known for his cooking expertise and for appearing on shows like "Chef John Besh's Family Table" or "Chef John Besh's New Orleans." As reported by Nola, in 2017, the New Orleans chef faced allegations of inappropriate workplace behavior and sexual harassment from 25 female employees. He was accused of fostering and encouraging abusive environments across his restaurants where female employees alleged they regularly experienced non-consensual touching, inappropriate sexual comments, and sexual advances from male supervisors, co-workers, and managers. 

Furthermore, one female staff member filed a complaint alleging that Besh had coerced her into a sexual relationship spanning several months and that she faced harsh treatment from other employees when it ended. In a statement to the outlet, the chef insisted that the relationship had been fully consensual. Regardless, he expressed regret for his unprofessional conduct, stating, "I sincerely apologize to anyone past and present who has worked for me who found my behavior as unacceptable as I do." He explained that he was now attempting to rebuild his marriage while undoing the harm caused to his company. "I alone am entirely responsible for my moral failings," the chef explained. "This is not the way the head of a company like ours should have acted, let alone a husband and father."

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

TV chef Joe Bastianich got in hot water when he was accused of overlooking or encouraging his business partner, Mario Batali's alleged behavior. As reported by Eater, both were accused of having fostered a "boys' club" culture across their various restaurants. In response, Bastianich acknowledged that he had been somewhat complicit in allowing Batali to make inappropriate comments, stating, "I'm reexamining my own behavior to ensure that everyone I work with feels [respected]."

In 2018, Bastianich later had his own scandal when he was shown making racist remarks about Chinese men's bodies on an Italian TV series. While filming "MasterChef Italia" as a judge, the chef visited a nail salon in Milan to speak with the women working there. In a clip published by Grub Street, he was shown correcting the salon workers on their pronunciation, asking them what Chinese people do with their dead, and interrogating them about their love lives. 

When the workers tried to avoid the question of whether they had Italian or Chinese boyfriends, he went on to make demeaning and stereotypical comments about what he perceived to be Chinese men's physical inadequacies. "This was a scripted segment shot in a Milan nail salon that I've gone to regularly. I know the women, and we were given the questions to discuss in advance," Bastianich insisted in a statement to Grub Street. "That said, it's clear that some of what I said was in poor taste and not reflective of my views. I'm sorry I said those things."

The Food Network host, Michael Chiarello was accused of sexual harassment in a lawsuit from two female servers at one of his restaurants. According to the court documents, which Eater published in 2015, it was alleged that Chiarello harassed female employees and created a "sexually charged, hostile, and abusive environment." In one purported example, he was said to have maintained a hiring policy that encouraged managers to only hire women that they were attracted to, allegedly insisting, "If you don't want to f*** them, don't hire them." He was also accused of making homophobic quips about the sex lives of his restaurant's gay male servers, with one male worker also alleging that Chiarello had groped him non-consensually during one such comment. To top it off, he was also accused of failing to pay wages properly.

In a statement supplied to Eater, the chef's publicist denied the incriminating claims, stating, "The allegations are not only upsetting to [Chiarello], they are also against his core beliefs." The chef reportedly saw himself as a mentor to all of his employees and an ambassador for the good old-fashioned values that he learned from his Italian immigrant mother, who first taught him how to cook. "Mr. Chiarello intends to vigorously defend himself, his reputation, and his team against these unfounded claims in a court of law," his publicist added. In the end, the Italian-American cook and his former employees settled for an undisclosed sum out of court, according to the North Bay Business Journal.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

In 2013, Paula Deen became one of the most controversial chefs in America when a discrimination lawsuit alleged she'd used racial slurs and also planned to hire exclusively Black waiters to serve her brother's guests at his southern plantation-style wedding. After Deen was asked in court whether she had ever used the racial pejorative term in question, she confirmed the allegation. "Yes, of course," she admitted, per Today. Having recalled how she once used the slur to describe a robber who held her at gunpoint, she added, "It's been a very long time." 

However, she also admitted that she might have referred to her own employees using the same slur. "But that's just not a word that we use as time has gone on," Deen added. "Things have changed since the '60s in the South. And my children and my brother object to that word being used in any cruel or mean behavior."

But that wasn't the only way she was accused of having treated her Black employees badly. According to The New York Times, Dora Charles alleged that she spent years developing recipes for Deen without credit and receiving less than $10 per hour. Charles claimed that Deen referred to her as her "soul sister," and had told her, "I promise you, one day if I get rich you'll get rich." She ended up living in a trailer home. Charles later commented that she should have had that promise written down. "I didn't think I had to 'cause we were real close," she added.

Former "Top Chef" contestant, Mike Isabella was able to demonstrate his cooking ability on the show's sixth season and a subsequent "All-Stars" season. But all the Mediterranean cuisine in the world couldn't get him out of trouble in 2018 when the chef was accused of sexual harassment in a lawsuit, as reported by The Washington Post. Per court documents, Chloe Caras, a former top manager accused Isabella of non-consensual contact, misogynistic name-calling, and objectification. "Women generally do not make it into the higher management ranks of Mr. Isabella's establishments and when Ms. Caras did, she became the target of extraordinary sex-based hostility and abuse," her lawyers claimed. 

After putting up with the alleged treatment, she was ultimately fired following an argument at a bar, where Isabella had instructed a male sous chef to sleep with her. Another former female employee similarly alleged that Isbaella's restaurant, MIC, had been a toxic environment to work in. "It's just not for me — to be treated in a way that feels like the workplace is a frat house," she said. "The word 'whore' was used quite often in the kitchen, and I hated it." Isabella and his lawyers denied the claims, stating, "Harassment, discrimination, bullying, abuse, or unequal treatment of any kind whatsoever are not tolerated at MIC." After the settlement, he ended up closing down his restaurants and eventually filing for bankruptcy.

As a culinary expert on the cooking show "Iron Chef America" and a judge on the Food Network's smash hit series "Chopped," Geoffrey Zakarian seems like someone with very high standards. For example, he doesn't like to eat fast food and had never even stepped into a McDonald's before The New York Times took him in 2015. But when it comes to being the world's best boss, Zakarian doesn't exactly seem to meet those standards.

In 2011, the "Chopped" chef was accused of violating labor laws and failing to pay the kitchen staff of his restaurant, Country, in a class action lawsuit. As The New York Times reported, a whopping 152 former employees joined forces to claim that Zakarian had regularly cheated them out of wages, including overtime pay. They also alleged that he'd claimed they had eaten staff meals to justify taking money out of their paychecks. A former business partner, Adam Block, also criticized the chef, blaming him for the decline of the restaurant where these staffers had worked. "I know that Geoffrey Zakarian's narcissistic behavior and arrogance caused Country to fail and inevitably allowed whatever wage and hour violations occurred while he was Country's operator," he said.

In the face of their $1 million lawsuit, the chef's finances took a real hit and he eventually declared bankruptcy. "I realize and understand the responsibility that as a public face of a business, one can become a target," Zakarian stated at the time, denying all allegations. "I remain focused on my craft and delivering great meals to my diners."

Marco Pierre White is one chef who actually built his reputation on being unpleasant and difficult to work with. Not only did White claim to have made the infamously tough Gordon Ramsay break down crying when the younger chef was his protege, but his staff members also reportedly staged mass walk-outs to protest White's bullying in 2014. As the Daily Mail reported, there was only one manager left at The Pear Tree Inn in Wiltshire after all the other employees decided that they'd had enough. However, the lone staff member left behind alleged that there was no mass resignation, but rather that the pub was undergoing refurbishment. 

White had already been criticized by locals for transforming the traditional pub into a pricey up-market failure. As a result, he was accused of having shut the place down and left. "The whole place has been gutted," said local councilor Terry Chivers, who was hardly complimentary about the top chef's efforts. "He was pig-headed about the whole thing, from the start," he added. Chivers also claimed that all the staff had been dismissed. "I don't think Marco will be missed in the slightest around here," he continued. The councilor added that White appeared to abandon the venture as soon as it started to decline into chaos, speculating, "It was probably something of an embarrassment for him."

A year later, the venue had been sold to a new owner and reopened as a traditional pub — much to the delight of the locals, according to the Gazette & Herald. 

Anne Burrell has become one of the most recognizable faces on the Food Network, thanks to her signature hair and outgoing personality. She first appeared on our screens alongside Mario Batalli in "Iron Chef America," before becoming a regular on shows like "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef." But it was soon revealed that Burrell had her own secrets when it came to the work environment she created. 

In 2009, the Food Network star was handed a discrimination lawsuit alleging that she used demeaning names for female employees and constantly commented on their physical appearance. As Eater reported, former staffers at the restaurant, Centro Vinoteca, alleged that she had referred to them using a variety of sexual and misogynistic slurs. It sounds like the staff members couldn't do anything right, since they were criticized for offenses like wearing the jeans that were part of their mandatory uniform and leaning over the counter to serve customers. Burrell also reportedly teased staff about their sex lives by loudly making statements like, "You must be tired today from f***ing all night." 

Burrell never commented on the allegations. However, in 2017, without elaborating any further, the celebrity chef's publicist confirmed to The Washington Post that the case had been settled.  

Known as The Pioneer Woman to her fans, Ree Drummond had an unusual path to fame. Her blog about living as a ranch wife and feeding her five kids made her an online sensation. And once the Food Network took notice and started featuring her in shows like "Throwdown! with Bobby Flay," it was only a short wait until Drummond was given her own show in 2011. "The Pioneer Woman" was launched to spotlight her family and their commitment to good old-fashioned home cooking.

But were those traditional ranch life values used to romanticize Drummond's own alleged ignorance? In the show's second season, the celebrity chef made a joke that many viewers found off-putting. During the scene in question, she presented her family with "Asian hot wings," much to their notable disgust. However, she then revealed that it was a prank, before pulling out American buffalo wings instead. 

As seen in a video uploaded to Twitter by the blog, Thick Dumpling Skin, her crew reacted to the Asian food with open contempt, insisting that they didn't trust those kinds of wings. When Drummond revealed her real game-day treat, she laughed and commented, "I'm just kidding guys, I wouldn't do that to you." Drummond received significant backlash for her joke, with many Food Network fans and outlets like Eater pointing out how disrespectful this moment was to the Asian American community.

Bobby Deen is the son of the controversial chef, Paula Deen and he began his TV career by appearing on her Food Network shows before he started hosting his own gigs like "Junk Food Flip" and "Road Tasted." However, in 2015, Bobby also got caught up in his mom's racist scandals when the chef received backlash for a picture of him and Paula in a bizarre mother-son couple's costume. As reported by Today, in the offending picture, Bobby appeared to have painted his face brown for his costume as Desi Arnez, alongside his mom, who was dressed as Lucille Ball. Another picture of him in the makeup chair showed the dubious transformation. 

After the Deens were accused of doing "brownface" on social media, they deleted the social media posts featuring the images and released a statement that read, "[Paula] apologizes to all who were offended." It also explained that the mother-and-son team had originally dressed up in the costumes for a 2011 episode of her show, "Paula's Best Dishes" that aired around Halloween, and blamed a member of staff for sharing the throwback pic four years later. "As such, Paula Deen Ventures has terminated their relationship with this Social Media Manager," the statement continued.