NEW YORK (Dagbladet): The world-famous actor had to be on the witness stand in court in New York on Tuesday. He is being sued by his former assistant Graham Chase Robinson (41 years old), who accuses him of mistreatment and is suing him for $12 million (about 134 million kroner).
Finally, De Niro faced court when Robinson’s attorney, Andrew McCurdy, listed allegations against De Niro from an assistant who worked with him from 2008 to 2019.
“Shame on you,” De Niro shouted at the end, according to the news agency AP.
Breaking the silence: – I’m broken
shock
Robinson is seeking damages from her former boss for the emotional stress and damaged reputation, which she believes left her unemployed and unable to recover from the trauma of working with De Niro.
According to the news agency, Robinson received $300,000 (about 3,360,000 Norwegian krone) annually when she was De Niro’s assistant.
Now she also claims that she quit after becoming frustrated with the interaction with De Niro’s girlfriend and the influence she believes the girlfriend had on the film star.
A New York jury will also consider the evidence in De Niro’s counterclaim against Robinson. There he claims she stole things from him – including five million bonus points on flights. De Niro demands Robinson pay back three years’ wages.
He was asked about urination
Among other things, McCurdy used De Niro’s cross-examination to ask if he sometimes urinated while speaking with Robinson on the phone.
– Nonsense. Did you bring us here for this? De Niro responded from the witness stand.
McCurdy also claimed that De Niro called Robinson a “bitch.”
– I was never abusive. Never, said the actor.
At the same time, he admitted that he may have used the word in conversations with her.
When Robinson’s lawyer claimed that De Niro preferred to have her scratch his back rather than use an object, he again received an angry response from the actor, who said it might have happened once or twice, but “it was never in a disrespectful way.” Or in an inappropriate manner.
Finally, De Niro exploded, looking angrily at his former assistant:
After the surprise: – It was planned
– Shame on you, Chase Robinson! he shouted, according to the Associated Press and other American media.
Shortly after, he turned to Judge Louis J. Lyman offered a quiet apology.
promotion
The movie star explained that there were no written rules for those who worked with him because he relied on “common sense.” He also explained that he promoted Robinson to vice president of his company, Canal Productions, because she asked for it. But his duties should not change.
At one point, De Niro admitted that he raised his voice and was angry with Robinson. It is said that she was in Europe and forgot to call him and remind him of an important meeting in California.
– I raised my voice. I got angry at the time. I scolded her, but I wasn’t offensive. I was upset,” De Niro explained.
De Niro is considered one of America’s most prominent film actors, winning two Oscars during a 60-year career.
Among his most famous films are “The Godfather,” “Taxi Driver,” “The Deer Hunter,” and “Raging Bull.” He is currently in Martin Scorsese’s film The Killers of the Moonflower.
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