A jury discovered Robert De Niro’s manufacturing firm chargeable for gender discrimination and retaliation after his former assistant accused the actor of abusive conduct.
Whereas De Niro personally was not discovered liable, Canal Productions should pay Graham Chase Robinson $1.264 million in damages. Robinson was not discovered chargeable for any of the accusations in De Niro’s lawsuit in opposition to her.
“We’re delighted that the jury noticed what we noticed and returned a verdict in Chase Robinson’s favor in opposition to Robert De Niro’s firm, Canal Productions,” David Sanford, Chairman, Sanford Heisler Sharp, advised Fox Information Digital. “Not solely did Ms. Robinson win her case in opposition to Canal, however the jury fully vindicated Ms. Robinson by discovering De Niro’s claims in opposition to her to be with out advantage.”
The trial, wherein each De Niro and Robinson confronted accusations, was heated at instances, with the actor apologizing to the choose for one outburst throughout his testimony.
ROBERT DE NIRO ADMITS HE ‘BERATED’ EX-ASSISTANT, CALLED HER ‘SPOILED F—ING BRAT’ DURING COURT TESTIMONY
Robert De Niro has been in courtroom dealing with his former assistant, Graham Chase Robinso, accusing him of gender discrimination and harassment. (Getty Photographs)
The jurors had been particularly requested to determine if De Niro was chargeable for gender discrimination and retaliation, in accordance with the decision type obtained by Fox Information Digital. Moreover, the jury was requested to determine whether or not Robinson was chargeable for the conversion of the corporate’s Delta SkyMiles and for breach of fiduciary obligation together with breach of loyalty in opposition to De Niro’s firm, Canal Productions.
Fox Information Digital has reached out for remark from De Niro’s consultant.
The jury returned a verdict in De Niro’s gender discrimination trial on Thursday, the identical day deliberations started. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Photographs)
Robinson, who labored for De Niro from 2008 to 2019, and the “Killers of the Flower Moon” actor had been in courtroom over the assistant’s lawsuit accusing De Niro of gender discrimination. Robinson alleged the actor repeatedly used “vulgar, inappropriate, and gendered feedback” along with overworking and underpaying her within the $12 million lawsuit.
Earlier than Robinson filed her 2019 lawsuit, De Niro filed his personal. The $6 million go well with accused her of improper use of the corporate bank card, watching TV on firm time and stealing frequent-flier miles for private journeys.
In 2022, Robinson got here ahead to accuse De Niro of retaliation along with his 2019 lawsuit. The previous assistant alleged she uncovered textual content messages between De Niro’s workers that proved the actor’s lawsuit was filed to “humiliate” her, in accordance with courtroom paperwork beforehand obtained by Fox Information Digital. In a single textual content alternate, a longtime worker of De Niro reportedly mentioned that Robinson “was threatening to sue bob in order that they needed to break her first.”
De Niro testified throughout the almost two-week trial. (Elizabeth Williams through AP)
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Robinson maintained that she was tasked with placing collectively and adorning De Niro’s townhome in 2018 regardless of being promoted to vice chairman of manufacturing and finance.
The previous assistant testified in her deposition that “[m]y job at Productions form of had been redirected to all of this gender feminine function the place I used to be dealing with this housekeeping and vacuuming and doing all of this stuff. … It had nothing to do with VP manufacturing of finance. That was extremely demeaning and irritating for me to take care of,” in accordance with The Hollywood Reporter.
Based on De Niro’s testimony, Robinson was solely promoted as a result of she needed the “title change” and he maintained that her duties as head assistant by no means modified.
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Robinson sued De Niro for gender discrimination and retaliation. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Photographs)
De Niro was additionally requested about instances he requested Robinson scratch his again, which brought on an outburst within the courtroom.
“I do not—she did not scratch it,” the actor mentioned on the stand. “If she did, I mentioned may you scratch it as a result of I am over right here, one factor, I’ve an itch. As soon as. It’s so ridiculous. It’s each little factor she is making an attempt to get on me. It’s like she implies that she is out in entrance of the constructing scrubbing the flooring on her knees, washing it, and ensuring that—that is nonsense. Come on.”
When Robinson’s legal professionals claimed that he requested twice for the assistant to scratch his again, De Niro shot again, “OK. Twice? OK. OK, you bought me. I do not even know what you’re speaking about. I am sorry, that is nonsense.”
He additionally added, “It by no means was with any disrespect or lewdness or any form of weirdness that you’re making an attempt to suggest. Disgrace on you, Chase Robinson.”
The previous assistant labored for De Niro from 2008 to 2019. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Photographs)
Robinson later insisted the again scratching request had occurred. “I had talked about that there was a again scratcher he may use as a substitute,” she testified, in accordance with courtroom transcripts. “He mentioned he most popular the best way that I scratched his again.”
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Tiffany Chen, who gave beginning to De Niro’s seventh little one this 12 months, can be concerned within the authorized battle. Chen, who shares 6-month-old daughter Gia with De Niro, spoke out about her relationship with Robinson, whom she first met in 2018, as she took the stand in Manhattan federal courtroom final week.
“She was very unusual from the start and all the time uncomfortable to be round. I used to be killing her with kindness,” the 45-year-old martial arts teacher mentioned, in accordance with courtroom transcripts obtained by Fox Information Digital. Chen described Robinson as being “mean-spirited and b—-y” whereas she labored for De Niro. “She was a sizzling mess. Her schedule was off on a regular basis,” she added.
De Niro’s accomplice Tiffany Chen additionally testified throughout the trial. (Arnold Jerocki/Getty Photographs for Air Mail/Warner Brothers Discovery through Getty Photographs)
For her half, Robinson’s lawyer, Alexandra Harwin, mentioned De Niro invented claims to “break” her shopper’s fame in a press release beforehand shared with Fox Information Digital.
“It’s fully unlawful for employers to retaliate in opposition to workers who complain about office discrimination,” Harwin mentioned. “However that is precisely what Robert De Niro did to Ms. Robinson, inventing claims to break her fame and humiliate her as a result of he knew she was going to show his conduct.”
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