Spotted Pig Restaurateur Accused Of Sexual Harassment: Report

WEST VILLAGE, NY — The powerful NYC restaurateur behind trendy spots like the Spotted Pig was accused by multiple women of sexual harassment and groping in a new report in The New York Times.

Multiple women said Ken Friedman, the c0-owner of the Spotted Pig and other restaurants, routinely groped, harassed and kissed the women he worked with, The New York Times reported on Tuesday.

Friedman, 56, is one of the city's most prolific and powerful restaurateurs. Since The Spotted Pig, located at 314 W. 11th St., opened in 2004, it has a become a trendy Village haunt frequented by celebrities and other notable names.

At least 10 women told the Times said Friedman had sexually harassed them, including "groping them in public, demanding sex or making text requests for nude pictures or group sex," the Times reported. More employees described a culture were touching and kissing, plus catcalls and gropes from guests during raucous after-hours parties at the restaurant, were the norm.

Employees told the Times he was "unusually sexualized" and had a "volatile temper." Many women said they didn't report the unwanted advances for fear of Friedman's influence in the industry, and added that the Spotted Pig operated for years without a formal human-resources offices.

Rza Betts, a former wine director at The Spotted Pig, said that in 2009, Friedman forcibly kissed her while the two were out at a nearby bar. Later, he texted her and asked for a "sexy picture" of her, according to screenshots she shared with the Times.

"Some incidents were not as described, but context and content are not today’s discussion," Friedman said in a statement to the Times. "I apologize now publicly for my actions."

The third floor of the restaurant, a private room where guests could stay only by invitation, was so notorious for it sexually aggressive atmosphere that employees and industry insiders called it "the rape room," the Times reported.

The Times' report on Friedman's comes just a day after Eater New York reported that superstar chef Mario Batali was taking a leave of absence from the day-to-day operations of his businesses after four women accused him of groping and other wanted touching.

Batali, who co-owns Babbo, Del Posto and other staples of the NYC restaurant scene, was a frequent guest at Friedman's after-hours parties at The Spotted Pig.

Jamie Seet, a longtime employee of Freidman's, said that at one such party she saw Batali groping and kissing a woman who appeared to be unconscious. Another server told the Times that Batali was nicknamed the "Red Menace" around the restaurant.

"Though I don’t remember these specific accounts, there is no question I have behaved terribly," Batali said in an email to The Times. "There are no excuses. I take full responsibility and am deeply sorry for any pain, humiliation or discomfort I have caused."

Friedman ran much his business empire with chef April Bloomfield, who is the chef and co-owner of the Spotted Pig.

You can read the Times' full report here.

Image credit: Michael Loccisano / Staff / Getty Images Entertainment