American Express and Blackbird have withdrawn their sponsorship of Noma's upcoming Los Angeles pop-up events following allegations of abuse against head chef René Redzepi. The New York Times reported that the sponsors cut ties days after detailing claims of psychological and physical abuse by Redzepi against staff at the Copenhagen restaurant, once considered the world's best.
The allegations, published last week, include Redzepi allegedly berating employees and inflicting violence, such as punching them in the face and body-slamming them into walls. In response, Redzepi posted a statement online, saying: 'Although I don't recognize all details in these stories, I can see enough of my past behavior reflected in them to understand that my actions were harmful to people who worked with me.' He apologized and said he had sought therapy to manage his anger.
Blackbird CEO Ben Leventhal told Eater Los Angeles: 'René’s past practices, by his own admission, were unacceptable and abhorrent. We cannot lean on time elapsed and rehabilitation claims when these things resurface.' Blackbird had purchased $100,000 in tickets and will refund customers, donating proceeds to advocacy groups. American Express, which had bought out six nights for Platinum cardholders, is also offering refunds.
Noma, which announced plans in 2023 to close as a full-time restaurant and become a food laboratory, had sold out its LA pop-up at $1,500 a ticket in three minutes. The restaurant said in a statement that the claims do not reflect its current workplace and that it is conducting an independent audit to ensure safety.
