NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Robert De Niro testified Monday in New York City at a trial resulting from a former personal assistant鈥檚 lawsuit 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: 鈥淭his is all nonsense!鈥�
The two-time Oscar-winning actor known for his performances in blockbuster movies like 鈥淭he Deer Hunter鈥� and 鈥淩aging Bull鈥� 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.
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.
But when a lawyer for Robinson asked him if he considered her a conscientious employee, he scoffed.
鈥淣ot after everything I'm going through now,鈥� he said.
De Niro twice raised his voice almost to a shout during his testimony. Once, it occurred as he defended the interactions his girlfriend had with Robinson, saying, 鈥淲e make decisions together.鈥�
The second time occurred when Robinson's lawyer tried to suggest that De Niro bothered his client early in the morning to take him to the hospital in 2017.
鈥淭hat was one time when I cracked my back falling down the stairs!鈥� De Niro angrily snapped. Even in that instance, he added, he delayed calling Robinson, making it to his bed after the accident at 1 a.m. or 2 a.m., but then later summoning her at 4 a.m. or 5 a.m.
Repeatedly, Judge Lewis J. Liman explained the rules of testimony to De Niro and that there were limits to what he could say.
鈥淐an I ask a question?鈥� De Niro asked in one exchange with Robinson's lawyer. The request was denied.
He insisted that he treated Robinson well even after he bought a five-bedroom Manhattan townhouse and let Robinson oversee some of the preparations so he could move there with his girlfriend, Tiffany Chen.
鈥淚t is not like I'm asking for her to go out there and scrape floors and mop the floor,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o this is all nonsense!鈥�
Correspondence between De Niro and Chen that was shown to jurors demonstrated that Chen became increasingly suspicious of Robinson's motives, saying she thought Robinson acted like she was De Niro's wife and believed that she had 鈥渋maginary intimacy鈥� with De Niro.
鈥淪he felt there was something there and she may have been right,鈥� De Niro said in defense of his girlfriend's suspicions.
In opening statements that preceded De Niro's testimony, attorney Andrew Macurdy said Robinson has been unable to get a job and has been afraid to leave her home since leaving the job with De Niro.
He said De Niro would sometimes yell at her and call her nasty names in behavior consistent with sexist remarks he made about women generally.
Macurdy said the trouble between them arose when Chen became jealous that De Niro relied on Robinson for so many tasks and that they communicated so well.
He said his client never had a romantic interest in De Niro.
鈥淣one,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here was never anything romantic between the two of them.鈥�
De Niro's attorney, Richard Schoenstein, said Robinson was treated very well by De Niro 鈥渂ut always thought she deserved more.鈥�
He described De Niro as 鈥渒ind, reasonable, generous鈥� and told jurors they would realize that when they hear the testimony of others employed by De Niro's company, Canal Productions, which has countersued Robinson.
Schoenstein described Robinson as 鈥渃ondescending, demeaning, controlling, abusive鈥� and said 鈥渟he always played the victim.鈥�
Larry Neumeister, The Associated Press
