- Robert De Niro is in court
- He is being sued by a former assistant
- THIS is his testimony on the stand
The actor, renowned for his roles in 'The Deer Hunter' and 'Raging Bull,' was the first witness in a lawsuit filed by his former personal assistant, Graham Chase Robinson. De Niro, known for his fiery on-screen performances, didn't disappoint in the courtroom. At several points during his testimony, the actor appeared on the verge of an outburst, eventually branding the proceedings as "all nonsense!"
Robert's temper was coming to the full
Robinson, who worked for De Niro from 2008 to 2019, has sued the actor for $12 million in damages, alleging severe emotional distress and reputational harm. She claims De Niro refused to provide a job reference after she quit her role as his vice president of production and finance due to repeated clashes with his girlfriend.
In a tense exchange, De Niro dismissed the idea that Robinson was a conscientious employee, saying, "Not after everything I'm going through now." He even raised his voice almost to a shout when defending his girlfriend's interactions with Robinson, insisting, "We make decisions together." The actor also reacted angrily when Robinson's lawyer suggested he had disturbed his client early in the morning to take him to the hospital after a fall in 2017. "That was one time when I cracked my back falling down the stairs!" De Niro snapped.
De Niro insisted he treated Robinson well, even allowing her to oversee preparations when he bought a five-bedroom Manhattan townhouse. He defended his girlfriend, Tiffany Chen, against Robinson's claims of "imaginary intimacy," saying, "she felt there was something there and she may have been right."
Robert needs to watch his mouth
The trial continues, with De Niro's attorney describing him as "kind, reasonable, generous" and Robinson as "condescending, demeaning, controlling, abusive." His small outbursts might not help things in his favor after all!
"This is all nonsense!" the legendary actor, dressed in a green polo shirt and jacket and wearing black glasses, dramatically bellowed. De Niro’s lawyer, Richard Schoenstein, had set the stage in his opening statements Monday, the first day of the actor’s civil trial face-off with Robinson, when he acknowledged, "This trial is going to be a little bit like a movie.’"
"Give me a break with this stuff," De Niro said toward the end of his second day of fielding questions from the lawyer, Andrew Macurdy. "You got us all here for this?"
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"I don’t take liberties with people who work for me," he said, describing the implication that he had done so was "so ridiculous, I don’t know what to say." De Niro was then asked if he had required Robinson to scratch his back. He protested, gesticulating on the stand as if to demonstrate that he was asking for help with a hard-to-reach spot. He then mocked Robinson for depicting her life in De Niro’s employ as one of endless servitude.
"She implies that she’s out in front of the building on her knees scrubbing the floor," he said. "There was never any lewdness or disrespect or weirdness that you’re trying to imply," De Niro said to Macurdy, his voice rising.
On Monday, a De Niro attorney wasted no time depicting Robinson as a toxic employee. "I could go on, but it would be better to hear from them directly when they take the stand," they said.
This is only just beginning. The trail could go on for a few more months, and it's unlikely Robert will calm down about things anytime soon...
