Robert De Niro, the Academy Award-winning actor, testified in a New York City court, denying allegations of abusive behavior made by his former personal assistant, Graham Chase Robinson. Robinson, who worked for De Niro from 2008 to 2019, sued him for $12 million, claiming that he subjected her to severe emotional distress and reputational harm. De Niro maintained that he treated Robinson well, pointing out that she was paid $300,000 annually and held various responsibilities, including decorating his Christmas tree and accompanying him to the hospital. However, Robinson alleged that De Niro’s girlfriend, Tiffany Chen, was involved in several incidents that created tension and made her feel unwelcome.
De Niro defended Chen’s behavior, claiming she was suspicious of Robinson’s motives and believed he had “imaginary intimacy” with her. He stated that Chen had become jealous of the close relationship between himself and Robinson, who had worked for him for over a decade. De Niro’s attorney, Richard Schoenstein, described the actor as “kind, reasonable, generous” and said that Robinson was treated well by De Niro. However, Schoenstein also portrayed Robinson as “condescending, demeaning, controlling, abusive” and claimed that she had a history of playing the victim.
Robert De Niro (Via Robert De Niro/Twitter)
De Niro repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that the allegations were “all nonsense.” However, Robinson’s attorney, Andrew Macurdy, alleged that De Niro would often yell at her and make sexist comments about women in general. Macurdy also claimed that De Niro refused to give Robinson a reference when she left her job in 2019, and that she has been unable to find work or leave her home since then. The lawsuit is a high-profile case, with De Niro’s reputation at stake.
The trial is expected to continue for several more days, with De Niro’s company, Canal Productions, also counter-suing Robinson for allegedly breaching a confidentiality agreement. Throughout the proceedings, De Niro has maintained that the allegations are unfounded and that he treated Robinson with respect throughout their working relationship. As the trial unfolds, it remains to be seen whether De Niro’s claims will be corroborated or refuted by further testimony and evidence.
