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).

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."

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.

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."

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.  

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.