Robert De Niro is embattled in a real-life court drama, in dueling lawsuits with his former assistant, Ms. Graham Chase Robinson. She worked with De Niro for a decade. De Niro is accusing her of misappropriating money. Ms. Robinson says he subjected her to sexist and harassing comments and to “gratuitous unwanted physical contact.” The lawsuit included a link to a profanity-laced voicemail message that De Niro once left Ms. Robinson where he called her a “spoiled brat.” She also says that De Niro yelled “sexually-charged comments to her” when she worked at Canal Productions Inc., his production company.
In a lawsuit filed Thursday in Manhattan federal court, Ms. Robinson’s filed a suit against the star for gender discrimination and wage violations.
Robinson worked for De Niro’s Canal Productions, Inc., from 2008 to 2018.
“She joined as an idealistic young woman who hoped to advance in the film industry have her own production company, but instead of giving their challenging assignments and giving her duties that match her titles, he demeaned her, treated her as… [an] object — as a woman and therefore his possession.”
“Robert De Niro is someone who has clung to old mores. He does not accept the idea that men should treat women as equals,” the suit says. “He does not care that gender discrimination in the workplace violates the law. Ms. Robinson is a casualty of this attitude.”
Ms. Robinson claims De Niro treated her as what she called his “office wife” and made her do “stereotypically female duties, like housework”. He also underpaid her and denied her overtime.
The actor also allegedly “urinated during telephone calls” with Robinson and would greet her wearing only his “pajamas or a bathrobe,” according to the suit.
Robert De Niro’s $6 million lawsuit states that Ms. Robinson embezzled money and binge-watching Netflix while on the job. Read the Variety article on De Niro’s lawsuit by clicking on the link below.
Robert De Niro’s Company Files $6 Million Suit Against Ex-Employee
