'Kitchen Nightmares' Chef Gordon Ramsay Accused of Sexual Harassment

The star of Hell’s Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares, and MasterChef may soon find himself in hot water and OH GOD I AM SO SORRY FOR THIS LEDE. I’m going to go sit in a corner and think about what I’ve done.

Anyway, RadarOnline.com is now reporting that Chef Gordon Ramsay, Gold Medalist in the Laden Plate Discus Throw in the 2012 Olympics, is being accused of sexual harassment by Amy Bouzaglo during the filming of their Kitchen Nightmares episode.

This is not the first time a show connected to Ramsay has faced similar allegations. There’s also the fact that apparently, MasterChef judges Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich and Graham Elliott were accused of similar behavior last summer. Sexual harassment and generalized harassment are endemic to the restaurant industry — anyone who tells you otherwise has never worked in the business. Honestly, I have a hard time NOT believing allegations of sexual harassment in professional kitchens, since I’ve seen similar behavior so many times myself. If this were literally anyone BUT Samy and Amy Bouzaglo making the current accusations, I’d probably be metaphorically at the front of the mob.

Aaaaaaaand that’s where we hit a snag. Because for those of you who didn’t recognize the name, the person making these accusations is this lady:

Yeah. Her. The one who had a very well-known blow-up on air that led to Ramsay, for the only time in the show’s tenure, walking out without finishing, because even he couldn’t deal with Amy and Samy Bouzaglo. The one who was caught on tape stealing from servers. The one who’s been to prison for identity theft. The one with a myriad of social media meltdowns to her name. Anyone who’s seen that episode knows this woman does not have a 1/1 relationship with reality. So…do we believe old Captain MeowMeow up there? Or do we believe Ramsay (a representative for Kitchen Nightmares has already categorically denied the allegations)?

So all I’m going to say is this: if there IS the mountain of proof as to their claims that the Bouzaglos are saying they possess, Ramsay should be publicly buried for it. If it’s just another desperate grasp at fame, however, the Bouzaglos are doing a tremendous disservice to the thousands of women working in kitchens who really do have to face this sort of behavior every single day. In either case, chefs need to stop freaking treating women like pieces of meat in the kitchen, because Jesus Goddamn Christ that’s not OK.