Spotted Pig Chef 'Sorry' For Not Stopping Partner's Sex Abuse

WEST VILLAGE, NY — The head chef of the Spotted Pig restaurant apologized on Wednesday night for not doing enough to intervene while her business partner routinely sexually harassed and groped women, according to multiple women's accounts.

April Bloomfield, the superstar chef that was one-half of the powerhouse team behind the Spotted Pig in the Village, said in an Instagram post that she "fell short" and was "truly sorry." On Tuesday, the New York Times published an investigation detailing years of allegations against Bloomfield's business partner Ken Friedman.

Employees of The Spotted Pig told the Times that Friedman routinely harassed or sexually touched women who worked for him. At least 10 women 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 where touching and kissing, plus catcalls and gropes from guests during raucous after-hours parties at the restaurant, were the norm.

In the Times piece, some women said they brought their complaints about Friedman's behavior to Bloomfield. Trish Nelson, a former server a The Spotted Pig, said Bloomfield's "response was always the same."

"'That’s who he is. Get used to it. Or go work for someone else'," Nelson told the Times. 43

Bloomfield, 43, denied improperly handling such situations to the Times.

Bloomfield released the additional statement on Wednesday night after a terse response in the New York Times piece.

"But I fell short, and I am filled with anger and regret that, in the past, some of my staff were subjected to humiliating and degrading treatment,” she wrote in the Instagram post.

“I can say with confidence that I have never and will never condoned sexual harassment in the workplace. In meetings with my partner, I lectured, and I demanded, but now I know that it wasn’t enough. Now I am learning the extent of events, often kept from me, and I know I should have been even more unrelenting. For this — way too late — I am truly sorry.”

In a statement to the Times, Friedman 53, said: "Some incidents were not as described, but context and content are not today’s discussion. I apologize now publicly for my actions."

A spokesperson for The Spotted Pig did not immediately respond to an additional request for comment from Patch on Thursday.

Image credit: Dylan Rives/Getty Images for Food Network SoBe Wine & Food Festival