The two-time Oscar-winning actor at times appeared grouchy and twice raised his voice almost to a shout during his testimony.
Robert De Niro testified Monday in New York City at a resulting from a former personal assistant’s accusing the actor of being an abusive boss. De Niro, who at times appeared grouchy, restrained himself from erupting at the dissection of his interactions with her before finally blurting out: “This is all nonsense!”
The two-time Oscar-winning actor known for his performances in blockbuster movies like “The Deer Hunter” and “Raging Bull” was the first witness in a trial resulting from lawsuits over the employment of Graham Chase Robinson. Robinson, who worked for De Niro between 2008 and 2019, was paid $300,000 annually before she quit as his vice president of production and finance.
The woman, tasked for years with everything from decorating 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 severe emotional distress and reputational harm. Robinson said he refused to give her a reference to find another job when she quit in 2019 after repeated clashes with his girlfriend.
A profanity-laced voicemail from De Niro emerged in 2019 along with the accusations of discrimination and harassment, CBS New York .
“You’re living in Spain and you’re [expletive] upset with me. You tell me how nice you have it and your life over there and you [expletive] don’t answer my calls. How dare you. You’re about to be fired. You’re [expletive] history,” the voicemail says.
De Niro, 80, testified through most of the afternoon, agreeing that he had listed Robinson as his emergency contact at one point and had relied on her to help with greeting cards for his children.
