- Robert de Niro is engaged in a court battle
- He's fighting a lawsuit against a former assistant
- THIS is what the actor will testify to
The 'Raging Bull' star is facing off against his former assistant, Graham Chase Robinson, in a Manhattan court, in a case that promises to be as gripping as any of his blockbuster films. De Niro's legal battle with Robinson, his former right-hand woman, first erupted in August 2019. The actor's production company, Canal Productions, accused Robinson of raiding company funds, binge-watching Netflix at work, and even pilfering De Niro's frequent flyer miles.
Robert is another star under heavy fire
But Robinson didn't take these accusations lying down. She fired back with a $12 million lawsuit, accusing her former boss of sexual harassment and bullying. She claimed that De Niro forced her to perform "stereotypically female job duties" and stood by while a friend slapped her on the buttocks.
The story goes all the way back a number of years. Robinson, who started working for De Niro in 2008, alleged that she was "forced to resign" in April 2019 after rising to the position of vice president of production and finance. She accused De Niro of assigning her demeaning tasks, including putting away his boxers, washing his sheets, and setting his table.
The Oscar winner is expected to testify in the trial Monday afternoon. The legal battle began when Canal Productions in 2019 filed a $6 million lawsuit against Robinson, alleging that she binge-watched Netflix shows while working and that she abused her position to inappropriately use "her employer’s fund for her personal gain."
Robinson then sued De Niro and Canal Productions for alleged violations of the New York City Human Rights Law, claiming that De Niro directed sexist comments and conduct at her, assigned her "stereotypically female job duties that were inconsistent with her job title," and paid her less than a male employee due to gender-based stereotypes, per a release from Sanford Heisler Sharp, the law firm representing Robinson.
It's his word versus her word
Robinson was first hired in 2008. She was promoted to Vice President for Production and Finance before leaving the company and also alleges that De Niro's girlfriend, Tiffany Chen, "falsely accused Robinson of being in love with De Niro."
In 2019, a press release claimed: "De Niro then retaliated after Robinson complained, stripping Robinson of her job duties and driving her to resign." When Canal Productions originally filed a lawsuit against Robinson in 2019, the company alleged she ran up major gratuities bills on the company's American Express card, used De Niro's frequent flyer miles for personal trips and submitted false information to receive $70,000 for 96 days of "unused" vacation time.
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The original lawsuit filing stated Robinson was making $300,000 per year when she "abruptly resigned" from the company via an email on April 6, 2019. The trial is expected to last two weeks and will include the presentation of voicemails and text messages sent by De Niro to Robinson. In one text message, De Niro's girlfriend, Tiffany Chen, accused Robinson of believing "she's your wife."
Robinson's suit also alleges that De Niro subjected her to creepy conduct over the years. She claims he "urinated during telephone calls" with her and would greet her wearing only his "pajamas or a bathrobe." De Niro and Robinson are expected to make their cases over 20 hours each in court. The drama is set to unfold, and the world is watching.
The case is bound to be long and drawn out even into the foreseeable future. Could Robert De Niro be the latest culprit of sexual abuse in Hollywood, or is this another money grab? Only time, and the judge will tell!
