It’s been a long time since we saw those signature orange Crocs on the Food Network. Honestly, it feels like a different era of television entirely. But as the dust from the #MeToo movement and several high-profile legal battles has settled, people are starting to ask the same question: is Mario Batali still married to Susi Cahn?
The short answer is yes.
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Despite the career-ending allegations, the public shaming, and the total dismantling of his restaurant empire, Susi Cahn has remained by his side. They’ve been married since 1994. That is over three decades. In the world of celebrity scandals, where a single PR crisis usually leads to a divorce filing within weeks, their continued union is, well, pretty surprising to most outsiders.
The Quiet Life in Northern Michigan
You won't find the Batalis at star-studded Manhattan galas anymore. These days, the couple has largely retreated from the NYC spotlight. They’ve spent the last few years leaning into their life in Northport, Michigan. It’s a tiny, quiet town on the Leelanau Peninsula.
Basically, it's the exact opposite of the "Babbo" energy.
While Batali was once the face of Italian fine dining in America, he’s now more likely to be seen at a local bakery. In fact, as of early 2026, he’s actually become a minority investor in a local spot called Common Good Bakery in Traverse City. He’s not the star; he’s a partner. Susi has been right there through this transition from "Global Celebrity" to "Small Town Resident."
Who exactly is Susi Cahn?
To understand why she stayed, you kinda have to understand who she is. Susi Cahn isn't just "the chef's wife." She comes from a serious business pedigree. Her parents, Miles and Lillian Cahn, founded Coach, Inc. Yes, the handbag giant.
After selling Coach, the family started Coach Farm, a high-end goat cheese dairy in the Hudson Valley. That’s actually how she met Mario back in 1992—at a food event. They were both part of that world.
She has always been notoriously private. While Mario was out there being "Molto Mario," Susi was raising their two sons, Benno and Leo, and managing the family’s philanthropic efforts. When the 2017 allegations of sexual misconduct broke, many expected her to walk. She didn't.
Why the marriage lasted through the scandal
Relationships are messy. Celebrity ones are messier. We can’t know what happens behind closed doors, but the timeline of their life together suggests a deep, if complicated, loyalty.
- Long-term history: They had 23 years of marriage under their belt before the scandal hit.
- Family stability: Their sons were young adults when the news broke. Keeping the family unit intact seemed to be a priority.
- Financial entanglement: Between the Coach fortune and the restaurant empire, their finances were deeply intertwined for decades.
- Shared Philanthropy: They co-founded the Mario Batali Foundation together in 2008.
Is Mario Batali still married after the legal battles?
People often confuse "legal trouble" with "divorce." Batali faced a mountain of legal issues, including a criminal trial in Boston where he was eventually acquitted in 2022. He also settled several civil lawsuits. Throughout every single court appearance and settlement negotiation, there was never a public record of Susi filing for separation.
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It’s a rare sight in the modern "cancel culture" era.
Think about it. Most chefs of his stature who faced similar reckonings saw their personal lives crumble alongside their professional ones. But for Batali, the "home front" remained the one thing that didn't go up in smoke.
What is their life like now?
If you're looking for drama, you won't find much in 2026. They live a life that looks a lot like a permanent vacation—or an exile, depending on how you view it. They travel between their home in Greenwich Village and their Michigan estate.
Batali has tried to "tiptoe" back into the food world through small-scale investments and occasional social media posts, but the "Empire" is gone. He sold his stakes in B&B Hospitality and Eataly years ago. Susi continues to be the silent partner in his life, rarely speaking to the press and never giving the "tell-all" interview that many gossip mags were probably hoping for.
Summary of their current status
To be clear: there are no active divorce proceedings. They are still legally and publicly married.
If you were wondering is Mario Batali still married, the reality is that they have weathered a storm that would have sunk almost any other couple. Whether that's due to genuine forgiveness, a shared business interest, or a desire to keep their private life private, the result is the same. They remain one of the few long-standing couples in the culinary world, albeit under a very different set of circumstances than when they started.
Practical takeaways for following this story:
- Check local Michigan news: Most updates on the couple now come from Traverse City or Northport local outlets rather than national tabloids.
- Watch business filings: Batali’s "comeback" is happening through minority investments, which usually list him and sometimes his family members in the paperwork.
- Don't believe every rumor: In the absence of news, people often invent "divorce" headlines for clicks. Unless there is a filing in the New York or Michigan court systems, they are still together.
The Batalis have chosen a path of quiet retreat. In a world that demands a public apology or a public breakup, they’ve opted for neither, choosing instead to stay out of the light and, apparently, stay together.
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Actionable Insights
If you’re interested in the business side of how disgraced celebrities manage their estates, keep an eye on how Batali continues to divest from NYC and reinvest in the Midwest. It’s a blueprint for how a "canceled" public figure navigates a second act while maintaining a decades-long marriage.