New York – A jury has awarded over $1.2 million to Robert De Niro’s former personal assistant, Graham Chase Robinson, after finding one of De Niro’s companies responsible for subjecting her to a toxic work environment. Although De Niro himself was not held personally liable for the abuse, his company, Canal Productions, was found guilty of gender discrimination and retaliation. The jury ordered two payments totaling $632,142 to be made to Robinson.
Throughout the two-week trial, De Niro was embroiled in a legal battle with Robinson, who resigned in April 2019. De Niro was not present in the courtroom when the verdict was announced.
Following the delivery of the verdict, Robinson expressed her happiness with the outcome by smiling and embracing her lawyers. While both sides claimed victory, with Robinson’s attorney stating they were thrilled with the verdict, De Niro’s attorney referred to it as a great victory for De Niro.
Despite the verdict, De Niro’s attorneys may attempt to reduce the awarded amount through post-verdict motions. It remains uncertain whether there will be an appeal.
During the trial, Robinson testified that De Niro and his girlfriend, Tiffany Chen, conspired against her to transform her once-loved job into a nightmare. In response, De Niro and Chen argued that Robinson became problematic when her desire to advance beyond Canal Productions led to escalating demands.
Emails were presented as evidence, in which Chen expressed her belief that Robinson had an “imaginary intimacy” with De Niro and desired to be his wife. However, Robinson denied having any romantic interest in De Niro.
While De Niro admitted to allegations made by Robinson, such as him telling her that his personal trainer earned more than her due to having a family to support, he denied ever being abusive. He also denied yelling at her but acknowledged raising his voice in her presence.
Robinson testified that she suffered from anxiety and depression following her resignation and has been unemployed for the past four years, despite applying for numerous jobs. De Niro’s attorneys sued Robinson for breach of loyalty and fiduciary duty before her lawsuit was filed, seeking $6 million in damages. However, the jury rejected these claims.
Robert De Niro, a renowned actor with two Oscars to his name, including for his roles in “Raging Bull” and “The Deer Hunter,” is currently starring in Martin Scorsese’s film “Killers of the Flower Moon.”