Robert De Niro tells jury that emotional abuse claims by ex-assistant are

Robert De Niro testified Monday in New York Metropolis at a trial ensuing from a former private assistant’s lawsuit accusing the actor of being an abusive boss. De Niro, who at occasions appeared grouchy, restrained himself from erupting on the dissection of his interactions together with her earlier than lastly blurting out: “That is all nonsense!”

The 2-time Oscar-winning actor identified for his performances in blockbuster films like “The Deer Hunter” and “Raging Bull” was the primary witness in a trial ensuing from lawsuits over the employment of Graham Chase Robinson. Robinson, who labored for De Niro between 2008 and 2019, was paid $300,000 yearly earlier than she give up as his vp of manufacturing and finance.

The lady, tasked for years with every thing from adorning De Niro’s Christmas tree to taking him to the hospital when he fell down stairs, has sued him for $12 million in damages for extreme emotional misery and reputational hurt. Robinson mentioned he refused to offer her a reference to search out one other job when she give up in 2019 after repeated clashes along with his girlfriend.

A profanity-laced voicemail from De Niro emerged in 2019 together with the accusations of discrimination and harassment, CBS New York reported.

“You are residing in Spain and also you’re [expletive] upset with me. You inform me how good you may have it and your life over there and also you [expletive] do not reply my calls. How dare you. You are about to be fired. You are [expletive] historical past,” the voicemail says.

De Niro, 80, testified by way of a lot of the afternoon, agreeing that he had listed Robinson as his emergency contact at one level and had relied on her to assist with greeting playing cards for his kids.

However when a lawyer for Robinson requested him if he thought of her a conscientious worker, he scoffed.

“Not after every thing I am going by way of now,” he mentioned.

De Niro twice raised his voice nearly to a shout throughout his testimony. As soon as, it occurred as he defended the interactions his girlfriend had with Robinson, saying, “We make choices collectively.”

The second time occurred when Robinson’s lawyer tried to recommend that De Niro bothered his shopper early within the morning to take him to the hospital in 2017.

“That was one time after I cracked my again falling down the steps!” De Niro angrily snapped. Even in that occasion, he added, he delayed calling Robinson, making it to his mattress after the accident at 1 a.m. or 2 a.m., however then later summoning her at 4 a.m. or 5 a.m.

Repeatedly, Decide Lewis J. Liman defined the principles of testimony to De Niro and that there have been limits to what he might say.

“Can I ask a query?” De Niro requested in a single change with Robinson’s lawyer. The request was denied.

He insisted that he handled Robinson properly even after he purchased a five-bedroom Manhattan townhouse and let Robinson oversee among the preparations so he might transfer there along with his girlfriend, Tiffany Chen.

“It’s not like I am asking for her to go on the market and scrape flooring and mop the ground,” he mentioned. “So that is all nonsense!”

Correspondence between De Niro and Chen that was proven to jurors demonstrated that Chen grew to become more and more suspicious of Robinson’s motives, saying she thought Robinson acted like she was De Niro’s spouse and believed that she had “imaginary intimacy” with De Niro.

“She felt there was one thing there and he or she might have been proper,” De Niro mentioned in protection of his girlfriend’s suspicions.

In opening statements that preceded De Niro’s testimony, legal professional Andrew Macurdy mentioned Robinson has been unable to get a job and has been afraid to go away her residence since leaving the job with De Niro.

He mentioned De Niro would generally yell at her and name her nasty names in conduct per sexist remarks he made about ladies typically.

Macurdy mentioned the difficulty between them arose when Chen grew to become jealous that De Niro relied on Robinson for thus many duties and that they communicated so properly.

He mentioned his shopper by no means had a romantic curiosity in De Niro.

“None,” he mentioned. “There was by no means something romantic between the 2 of them.”

De Niro’s legal professional, Richard Schoenstein, mentioned Robinson was handled very properly by De Niro “however all the time thought she deserved extra.”

He described De Niro as “type, affordable, beneficiant” and instructed jurors they’d notice that after they hear the testimony of others employed by De Niro’s firm, Canal Productions, which has countersued Robinson.

Schoenstein described Robinson as “condescending, demeaning, controlling, abusive” and mentioned “she all the time performed the sufferer.”

In 2019, CBS New York spoke with Alexandra Harwin, the legal professional for Robinson.

“She tried to endure the work surroundings so long as potential, however she did try to give up a number of occasions. And Mr. De Niro responded by promising issues would get higher and threatening her if she left,” Harwin mentioned.

The 19-page lawsuit additionally states that De Niro made jokes about his Viagra prescription and requested her to do supposedly stereotypical feminine duties, akin to cleansing his condo and mending his garments.

Extra from CBS Information