René Redzepi has resigned as head of Noma, the Copenhagen restaurant he co-founded in 2003, following explosive allegations of workplace abuse spanning nearly a decade. The chef's departure comes after The New York Times published accounts from 35 former employees detailing physical and psychological abuse at the world-renowned establishment. Protesters gathered outside Noma's Los Angeles pop-up as news of his resignation broke.

Redzepi acknowledged punching staff, jabbing them with kitchen implements, and slamming them against walls between 2009 and 2017. Former employees described enduring intimidation, body shaming, and public ridicule, with Redzepi allegedly threatening to blacklist them from restaurants worldwide. The allegations, initially shared on Instagram by Jason Ignacio White and viewed over 17 million times, overshadowed what was meant to be Noma's triumphant West Coast debut.

Corporate sponsors including Cadillac, Resy American Express, and Blackbird had already withdrawn support for the Los Angeles pop-up. Redzepi, who apologized for physical abuse but offered no concrete accountability measures, stepped down from both Noma and MAD, the nonprofit he founded in 2011. In his Instagram statement, he praised the current team as 'the strongest and most inspiring' in Noma's 23-year history, though he named no successor.