Mario Batali is reportedly "eyeing his second act" four months after his sexual harassment scandal

The New York Times

The former Food Network and The Chew star has been sidelined since being accused of sexual harassment by several women in early December. But The New York Times reports that Batali has been talking to friends about whether he can make a comeback, at least in some capacity. "Mr. Batali, who has never been known for his patience, is asking that question — actively exploring when or whether he should begin his," reports The Times' Kim Severson. "Friends and associates say he is floating ideas, pondering timelines and examining whether there is a way for him to step back into his career, at least in some fashion." Severson, whom Batali turned down for an interview, also reports: "Mr. Batali is examining what he has called his blind spots and considering how life might look when he is not, as he told one person he consulted over the winter, 'the lead singer.' He told a colleague that he is simply trying to learn to be the wallpaper in the room and not the room itself. Nonetheless, Mr. Batali has sketched several scenarios that put him in the driver’s seat but cede some control, people he has spoken with recently say. One is creating a new company led by a powerful woman chief executive."