Robert De Niro not interested in settling discrimination suit: Report
A former employee sued him for gender discrimination and harassment – including leaving her an expletive-filed voicemail calling her 'f------ history'
Attorneys for longtime actor and movie boss Robert De Niro said he has no plans to pay up in order to settle with a former employee who sued him for gender discrimination and harassment – including leaving her a threatening, expletive-laced voicemail, according to a report.
“My client has absolutely no interest in making payment to settle this matter,” said De Niro’s attorney Hillary Raimondi during a federal court hearing, according to Page Six.
“The Irishman” and “Goodfellas” actor, 76, was not in court for the 10 a.m. conference.
Graham Chase Robinson claimed through court papers and attorneys she was discriminated against “day in and day out” over the course of her 11 years working for De Niro’s production company, Canal Productions.
Graham Chase Robinson (Photo provided by law firm)
DE NIRO ACCUSER FIRES BACK AFTER ACTOR DISMISSES BOMBSHELL AUDIO
“Ms. Robinson was asked to do things that her male colleagues were never asked to do, like scratch Mr. De Niro's back, button his buttons, tie his ties,” her lawyer, Alexandra Harwin, previously told FOX Business. “The whole work environment was unacceptable.”
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
But De Niro claimed in recent court papers Robinson had threatened to write a tell-all book about the star and include his personal information if he didn’t meet her demands, TMZ reported at the time.
JUST HOW WEALTHY IS ROBERT DE NIRO?
Robinson filed the harassment and discrimination suit in October 2019, claiming the 76-year-old Hollywood star treated her like his “office wife,” the federal lawsuit states.
"Among these duties, De Niro directed Ms. Robinson to put away his boxers, hang up his clothes, wash his sheets, vacuum his apartment, set his table, mend his clothing, and select gifts for his children,” the federal lawsuit states.
He allegedly often went ballistic on her, once calling her a “spoiled brat” in a profanity-laced voicemail when she did not answer his phone call.
“How dare you f------ disrespect me?” he said in the message, in which he also told her, “You’re f------ history.”
LISTEN TO BOMBSHELL AUDIO IN DE NIRO HARASSMENT CASE:
His attorney Tom Harvey dismissed the claims at the time, saying in a statement: “The allegations made by Graham Chase Robinson against Robert De Niro are beyond absurd.”
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
She further claimed once De Niro learned his former employee was taking legal action, the multimillionaire struck first and filed a $6 million lawsuit of his own in August 2019 under his company name, Canal Productions.
Canal Productions accused Robinson of stealing hundreds of thousands of company dollars before suddenly resigning. The suit also alleges Robinson lied to get paid for 96 unused vacation days and in one instance watched 55 episodes of "Friends" on Netflix during work hours.
ROBERT DE NIRO HAS EXPLETIVE-LACED MELTDOWN OVER TRUMP
Robert De Niro accepts the lifetime achievement award at the 26th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2020 in Los Angeles. (Photo/Chris Pizzello)
According to the suit filed by Canal Productions, Robinson was paid a salary of more than $175,000 in 2017, more than $225,000 in 2018 and $300,000 in 2019 and rose through the ranks from executive assistant to director of productions and vice president of production and finance.
In August, Robinson filed a motion asking the judge to drop Canal’s case altogether or to put the matter on hold until her own suit against the political firebrand could be resolved.
ROBERT DE NIRO TAKES ON 'ABUSE OF POWER' DURING SAG LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD SPEECH
Robinson’s legal team argued in court papers at the time that “Canal’s preemptive strike was an act of unlawful retaliation” and called the film company’s request for $6 million in relief “clearly excessive," one of her spokespersons said.