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The second day of Robert De Niro‘s courtroom testimony was simply as fiery as the primary, with the actor vehemently denying he was ever an abusive boss to the ex-employee suing him as a part of an ongoing discrimination lawsuit.
De Niro, 80, took the stand once more in New York on Tuesday. The Oscar-winning actor on a number of events grew visibly upset and raised his voice whereas testifying in opposition to his former assistant Graham Chase Robinson, in line with quite a few studies.
“Each little factor she’s attempting to get me on is nonsense! Disgrace on you, Chase Robinson,” De Niro shouted.
He subsequently apologized for the outburst.
Actor Robert De Niro arrives at federal courtroom on Oct. 30, 2023, in New York Metropolis.
David Dee Delgado/Getty Photos
Robinson was employed by De Niro from 2008 to 2019.
She sued De Niro and his firm, Canal Productions, in July 2021. She is looking for US$12 million (over C$16.5 million) in damages for extreme emotional misery and reputational hurt. Robinson — who reportedly earned a wage of US$300,000 (about C$416,500) earlier than quitting her function as Canal’s vice-president of manufacturing and finance — has additionally claimed De Niro’s girlfriend, Tiffany Chen, pushed her out of the employment alternative.
De Niro and Canal Productions have denied Robinson’s allegations and likewise filed a lawsuit in opposition to her when she give up her job in 2019, earlier than she had filed her personal. De Niro and Canal claimed Robinson was a poor worker who stole 5 million Delta SkyMiles from firm playing cards and watched “astounding hours of TV reveals” whereas at her job. Proof from De Niro’s lawsuit shall be thought-about by the jury within the present trial.
Identify-calling and back-scratching allegations
Whereas on the stand Tuesday, De Niro continued to defend in opposition to a protracted record of allegations from Robinson, whose attorneys supplied a number of examples of alleged office mistreatment by the hands of De Niro.
When De Niro was requested by Robinson’s lawyer Andrew Macurdy if he had ever referred to as her names whereas Robinson was employed, De Niro confessed he had.
“Yeah, wonderful, I berated her,” De Niro stated, citing an occasion the place Robinson allegedly didn’t wake him up in time for a gathering.
“I wasn’t abusive. I used to be aggravated.”
De Niro stated that on the time he could have referred to as Robinson “petulant,” “snippy” and a “f—ing spoiled brat.” Nonetheless, De Niro stated he has by no means yelled at Robinson, however somewhat “raised his voice” as a result of yelling is “one factor I don’t do.”
Graham Chase Robinson departs federal courtroom on Oct. 30, 2023, in New York Metropolis.
David Dee Delgado/Getty Photos
As his testimony continued, Robinson’s attorneys advised the jury that De Niro most popular when she would scratch his again somewhat than utilizing a scratching system. De Niro denied this declare however stated he could have a couple of times requested Robinson to scratch his again, although it “by no means was with disrespect or lewdness.”
Whereas nonetheless on the stand, De Niro was additionally requested if he had ever urinated whereas on the telephone with Robinson. De Niro sardonically replied, “Give me a break with this nonsense. You bought us all right here for this?”
Gender discrimination claims
Robinson alleged in her lawsuit that she was a sufferer of gender discrimination and made to carry out “stereotypically feminine job duties” like laundry, regardless of holding an government title at Canal.
On Monday, De Niro testified that Robinson, who was his assistant earlier than being handed the VP title, was “pushy” about receiving the manager place. He stated her assistant tasks had not modified, simply the job title.
The next day, Robinson’s attorneys once more pressed in regards to the allegations of sexism and requested why Robinson was paid lower than De Niro’s different worker, Dan Harvey. De Niro stated Harvey has been his private coach for 40 years.
“What does Dan Harvey need to do together with her?” De Niro requested. “God is aware of why she felt like she ought to make the identical.”
When requested particularly if gender was the rationale for the pay disparity between Robinson and Harvey, De Niro replied, “Give me a break with that nonsense.”
The trial is anticipated to final for 2 weeks, till Nov. 10.
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