Michael Chiarello, the host of the Food Network’s “Easy Entertaining With Michael Chiarello,” was arrested for suspicion of DUI and possession of a controlled substance on Wednesday in Napa County, California, the Los Angeles Times reported.
According to the Times, the 54-year-old celebrity chef was pulled over by the California Highway Patrol at 3:27 a.m. while driving his Porsche on Silverado Trail.
Chiarello told law enforcement that he was driving from Yountville, California. The Napa County town serves as the location for Chiarello’s restaurant, Bottega Ristorante.
In a statement provided to the Times, Chiarello’s spokesman said that the celebrity chef “intends to vigorously challenge the misdemeanor charges filed against him.”
According to the Napa County Criminal Justice Network, Chiarello was released at 7:28 a.m. on Wednesday, on $5,000 bail.
Chiarello recently settled a lawsuit brought by two former servers at Coqueta, his restaurant in San Francisco, the Times noted. The two servers claimed that they were “forced to endure a hostile, sexually-charged work environment,” and that management turned a “blind eye” to the sexual harassment.
In addition to “Easy Entertaining With Michael Chiarello,” the chef also hosts the Fine Living Network’s “NapaStyle,” and was a competitor on Season 4 of “The Next Iron Chef.”
TheWrap has reached out to Food Network for comment on Chiarello’s arrest.