Actor Robert De Niro became visibly furious on the witness stand during his civil trial in New York City on Tuesday. The trial centers around allegations from De Niro’s former personal assistant, Chase Robinson, who claims that the actor harassed her while she was on the job. When questioned about whether he audibly urinated while on a phone call with Robinson in the bathroom, De Niro exploded, exclaiming, “Shame on you, Chase Robinson!” He vehemently denied the allegations, describing them as ridiculous and absurd.
De Niro was further asked if he had required Robinson to scratch his back, to which he gesticulated on the stand, demonstrating that he was simply asking for help with a hard-to-reach spot. Mocking Robinson’s portrayal of her role in his employment as one of servitude, De Niro stated, “She implies that she’s out in front of the building on her knees scrubbing the floor.” He strongly denied any lewd or disrespectful behavior, with his voice rising as he addressed Robinson and her lawyers.
Judge Lewis J. Liman intervened, inquiring whether the questioning would conclude in time for lunch. At that point, De Niro had spent about five hours on the stand over the course of two days, facing intense scrutiny regarding his workplace policies and the conflicts between Robinson and his girlfriend, Tiffany Chen.
The tensions between Chen and Robinson came to a head when De Niro and Chen moved into a Manhattan townhouse. Shortly after, Robinson abruptly quit her job, leading to the breakdown of the 11-year working relationship between her and De Niro. The trial centers not only on Robinson’s allegations of gender discrimination, wage theft, and retaliatory behavior by De Niro but also on De Niro’s own lawsuit accusing Robinson of stealing from the company, including the transfer of 5 million frequent-flier miles to herself.
The trial offers an inside look into De Niro’s privileged life as a renowned actor, Tribeca Film Festival founder, and owner of the Nobu restaurant and hotel chain. Robinson, who once earned $300,000 a year as De Niro’s director of production and finance, accuses De Niro of creating an uncomfortable work environment through crass behavior, uncomfortable requests, and sexualized jokes. She claims to have tolerated this behavior due to fears that De Niro would not provide her with a written recommendation.
Both sides in the trial agree that the relationship ultimately collapsed in relation to the “townhouse project.” Robinson played a significant role in finding, furnishing, and decorating the property for De Niro and Chen. However, tensions arose when De Niro’s girlfriend objected to Robinson’s involvement and her perceived overstepping of boundaries with De Niro’s children. The breaking point came when artwork by De Niro’s father was not promptly taken down to accommodate interior repainting.
Throughout the trial, De Niro has maintained his trust and reliance on Robinson but expressed disappointment that their working relationship had deteriorated. Meanwhile, Robinson’s lawyers argue that she quit due to the unbearable working environment created by De Niro and his girlfriend.
As the trial continues to unfold, both De Niro’s initial lawsuit and Robinson’s countersuit will be examined, shedding light on the contentious dynamics between the actor and his former assistant.