Robert de Niro’s ex-assistant claimed he sued her for $6M in attempt to ‘humiliate’ and ‘ruin’ her: Actor claimed worker used his frequent flyer miles worth $300,000, and put Pilates, dog-sitting and private hotel rooms costs on company credit card
- Graham Chase Robinson, former VP of Production and Finance for actor Robert de Niro’s company Canal Productions, claimed his lawsuit is to ‘humiliate’ her
- He is suing her for $6million, claiming that she used $300,000 worth of his frequent flyer miles and paid for Pilates and hotel rooms on the company card
- She is also suing the actor for $12million for gender discrimination and claimed that he verbally abused her and subjected her to ‘unwanted physical contact’
- Both have denied any wrongdoing and both cases are still ongoing
- She now claims that the actor had ‘literally no evidence’ against her when he filed the lawsuit and it only did it to ‘ruin’ her
- She claimed to have text messages from an employee who said de Niro was suing her for ‘just a random number’ to ‘strike first’
Robert de Niro’s ex-assistant claimed he is suing her for $6million to ‘humiliate’ and ‘ruin’ her, but the actor claimed she used his frequent flyer miles worth $300,000, and put Pilates classes and private hotel rooms on the company credit card.
Former VP of Production and Finance for de Niro’s company Canal Productions, Graham Chase Robinson, is suing actor Robert de Niro, 78, for $12million. She is alleging the Raging Bull star was verbally abusive toward her, made ‘sexually charged comments’ and subjected her to ‘unwanted physical contact.’
The movie legend sued Robinson for $6million prior to her filing a suit, claiming she spent $300,000 worth of his frequent flyer miles for personal use, and used the Canal Productions card to pay for personal expenses like Pilates, dog-sitting and hotel rooms.
He also claimed she used the company’s American Express card to pay for her own food, flowers, cameras, iPhones, Uber trips, groceries and dry cleaning. He alleged she ‘helped’ herself to petty cash.
He accused her of converting more than 7million Delta SkyMiles over a two-year period, using 3million for personal travel and transferring an additional $4.5million to a personal account.
Both have denied the allegations against them and both lawsuits are ongoing.
Former VP of Production and Finance for de Niro’s company Canal Productions, Graham Chase Robinson, who is suing actor Robert de Niro, 78, for $12million in damages after alleging the Raging Bull star was verbally abusive toward her, said his $6million lawsuit was just to ‘humiliate’ and ‘ruin’ her
De Niro (pictured with former NY Governor Andrew Cuomo) denied the claims, but said she spent $300,000 worth of his frequent flyer miles and put Pilates classes and private hotel rooms on his company Canal Productions’ credit card. She has denied any wrongdoing
However, Robinson is now claiming that de Niro’s lawsuit is simply to ‘strike first’ and ‘beat her to the punch.’ New court documents for her lawsuit, viewed by Fox News, include text messages, reportedly sent among Canal Productions employees.
She claims they show that de Niro quickly filed a lawsuit against her after he found out she was going to hit him with a gender discriminations case. He filed the suit after she left the company in 2019. She started with Canal in 2008 at age 25 as an executive assistant.
She claimed the texts say she was ‘threatening to sue Bob, so they wanted to ruin her first,’ the lawsuit said, according to Fox News. It also alleged that the employee said de Niro sued her for ‘just a random number’ to ‘humiliate’ her.
The lawsuit claimed the actor’s lawyer had ‘literally no evidence’ against the former VP at the time of the court filing.
‘It is completely illegal for employers to retaliate against employees who complain about workplace discrimination,’ Robinson’s lawyer Alexandra Harwin told Fox News. ‘But this is exactly what Robert De Niro did to Ms. Robinson, inventing claims to ruin her reputation and humiliate her because he knew she was going to expose his behavior.’
In January court documents, obtained by Radar Online, de Niro included a 2019 letter from his lawyer to his ex-employee who had worked her way up from personal assistant to Vice President of Production and Finance.
‘I was asked to respond to your recent emails addressed to Bob. Please note that Bob does not wish to communicate with you. As such, please direct correspondence regarding this matter to me,’ the letter states.
The letter also claimed Robinson improperly used Canal’s credit cards to pay for taxis and cover her food costs while on vacation in London. It alleged she charged $2,600 for a stay at the Montage Hotel on a trip to Los Angeles, as well as $156 for dinner at Nobu, $604 on a second meal at the upmarket eatery, $729 on a rental car and several hundred dollars more on cabs, despite having the rented vehicle at her disposal.
Robinson denied she improperly used the credit cards and calls into question whether she made all the purchases mentioned.
In her own court documents, she alleged the actor forced her to endure a toxic workplace where he branded her a ‘b**ch’ and spoke to her in a ‘hostile, abusive and intimidating manner.’
The actor has previously branded the lawsuit ‘completely absurd.’
But in a 2012 voicemail leaked last year, De Niro can be heard shouting at Robinson, calling her a ‘spoiled brat,’ saying ‘how dare you f***ing disrespect me,’ and threatening her, saying ‘you’re f***ing history.’
She claims such behavior wasn’t unusual for De Niro.
‘It was a routine occurrence for Mr. De Niro, when intoxicated, to call Ms. Robinson – to call her names, to berate her, to curse at her,’ her lawyer Alexandra Harwin told Fox Business in January 2020.
Harwin also alleged that Robinson ‘was asked to do things that her male colleagues were never asked to do, like scratch Mr. De Niro’s back, button his buttons, [and] tie his ties.’
The lawsuit also states that she was directed to wake him when he was in bed and imagine him on the toilet.
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