Graham Chase Robinson, a former employee who worked closely with Robert De Niro as his executive assistant and later as the Vice President of Production and Finance at De Niro’s Canal Productions, recently testified against the 80-year-old in a New York court. Her testimony is a crucial part of an ongoing legal trial that revolves around allegations of gender discrimination and retaliation against the renowned actor.
In her lawsuit, Robinson contended that she was subjected to biased treatment, asserting that De Niro assigned her tasks that were stereotypically associated with a traditional “office wife” role, which forms the basis of her gender discrimination claims.
Robert De Niro’s reportedly “creepy” requests
While taking the stand, Robinson became deeply emotional as she shared her experiences as an employee of De Niro’s company, Canal Productions, where she worked from 2008 to 2019. She recounted how the 80-year-old made her uneasy by repeatedly requesting her to scratch his back, even though she had informed him of the availability of a backscratcher. Despite her attempts to provide a practical solution, the actor insisted that she personally attended to his request by always stating, “I prefer the way you do it.”
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She also claimed that the actor addressed her with the derogatory term “bitch” on two separate occasions within the two years leading up to her resignation in late 2018. The first incident took place after the security company ADT was called to respond to a minor fire at De Niro’s townhouse. Robinson had been listed as the emergency contact for ADT, and when she requested to have her name removed from that role, De Niro reacted strongly, expressing his displeasure by accusing her of “acting like a little bitch.”
De Niro’s former employee claims she has been battling depression and unemployment since she quit working for him
In her testimony, the 41-year-old explained that the emotional and psychological distress she experienced before resigning from her 11-year tenure working for De Niro in 2019 has had a profound and lasting impact on her mental well-being, contributing to her ongoing struggle with depression. “I was having an emotional and mental breakdown. I wasn’t eating. I wasn’t sleeping. Couldn’t run. I was overwhelmed,” Robinson admitted to jurors. “I felt like I hit rock bottom.”
Robinson added that after quitting her previous job, she has been unemployed for four years despite seeking new employment opportunities by submitting applications to a staggering total of 638 jobs. “I don’t have a social life. I’m so humiliated and embarrassed and feel so judged,” she concluded. “I feel so damaged in a way. I lost my life. Lost my career. Lost my financial independence. I lost everything.”