ROBERT DE NIRO ACCUSED OF MISCONDUCT, ABUSE
Robert De Niro was hit with a gender discrimination suit Thursday by a former executive assistant, who claimed he routinely lobbed “abusive and sexist comments” toward her, and engaged in “inappropriate conduct” that included “gratuitous unwanted physical contact.”
The suit was filed in Manhattan Federal Court.
Long-time assistant Graham Chase Robinson sued De Niro and his corporate entity,Canal Productions. The suit charged him with “years of gender discrimination and harassment,” and claimed he also owes her overtime pay.
“De Niro made demands of Ms. Robinson that he never imposed on males,” said Robinson’s lawyer Alexandra Harwin of the firm Sanford Heisler Sharp.
“De Niro’s treatment of Ms. Robinson was inappropriate, demeaning, abusive, and intolerable, and he needs to be held accountable.”
The suit claims that De Niro called her a “b**ch” and a “brat,” urinated during their phone calls, met her wearing PJs or a robe, told her to “scratch his back,” “stood idly by while his friend slapped Ms. Robinson on her buttocks,” and suggested she “could get pregnant using sperm” from a married male co-worker.
Robinson eventually quit in April because she could no longer endure the hostile work environment,” according to the suit.
RESPONSE
The suit comes two weeks after Canal Production sued her in New York State Court.
That complaint accused her of misappropriating “hundreds of thousands of dollars” for personal expenses on Canal’s American Express card, converting millions of frequent flyer miles belonging to the company for her personal use, binge-watching Netflix on the clock, improperly reimbursing herself for personal and luxury items, and submitting “false information in order to be paid for” for 96 days of unused vacation, per CNBC.
Robinson made $300,000 a year, the suit maintained.
Robinson’s suit counterclaims that the accusations were “concocted false allegations” designed to “inhibit Ms. Robinson from pursuing her claims, destroy her reputation, and obliterate her job prospects.”
(Pulse Networks)