Robert De Niro reportedly raised his voice towards his former personal assistant in court earlier this week, and admitted that he may have called her a berating name.
De Niro’s former executive assistant Graham Chase Robinson has brought claims against the 80-year-old-actor, seeking $12 million in damages for emotional distress and reputational harm.
Robinson, 41, has claimed that she was made to carry out demeaning and disruptive tasks for the actor ranging from buttoning his shirts to being called on in the middle of the night. She also claims she experienced berating language from her employer, which the Killers Of The Flower Moon actor has partially admitted.
According to The Independent, when asked about an incident where Robinson failed to wake him in time for an important meeting, De Niro responded, “Yeah, fine, I berated her.”
Additionally, he admitted to the possibility of name-calling. When her lawyer, Andrew Macurdy suggested that he had called her a “brat,” De Niro replied, “I could have” but maintains that he was “never abusive, ever.”
She quit the role, for which she was making $300,000 annually, in 2019, having worked for the two-time Oscar winner since 2008, following disagreements with his then girlfriend, Tiffany Chen.
De Niro testified in New York this week and has denied the claims that he was an abusive boss, dismissing them as “nonsense”.
As well as denying the allegations, De Niro reportedly shouted in the direction of Robinson, “Shame on you, Chase Robinson!” before quickly directing a quiet apology to Judge Lewis J. Linman, according to AP News.
The jury is also considering evidence regarding a lawsuit De Niro brought against Robinson, claiming that she misused her access to his finances, paying for luxuries including expensive meals and lavish holidays. De Niro is reportedly seeking three years of his former assistant’s salary in return.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Robinson’s legal team alleges that the lawsuit filed against her came in retaliation following Robinson’s resignation, and her lawyers informed De Niro that she was considering bringing a lawsuit against him.
