De Niro's Company Ordered to Compensate Former Personal Assistant $1.2 Million

Robert De Niro's production company has been held responsible for gender discrimination and retaliation, with a New York jury ordering a payment of $1.2 million (£1 million) to his former assistant, Graham Chase Robinson, aged 41. Robinson had accused the actor of abusive conduct, including sexually inappropriate behavior, during her employment from 2008 to 2019. Notably, the jury did not find De Niro personally liable in this case.

 

While Robinson sought $12 million (£9.8 million) in damages, citing gender discrimination, harassment, and wage theft, De Niro and his company countersued for $6 million, alleging Robinson's misuse of company funds for personal travel and meals, as well as watching Netflix during work hours. De Niro consistently denied all allegations made by Robinson.

 

In previous court admissions, De Niro acknowledged "berating" Robinson and using terms such as "petulant," "snippy," and a "spoiled brat" to describe her. Upon leaving De Niro's employment in 2019, Robinson held the position of vice-president of production and finance at Canal, earning an annual salary of $300,000.

 

David Sanford, Robinson's lawyer, expressed satisfaction with the jury's decision, stating, "We are delighted that the jury saw what we saw and returned a verdict in Chase Robinson's favour." On the other hand, Richard Schoenstein, De Niro's lawyer, mentioned that their legal team would attempt to diminish the damages through post-trial motions.