Robert De Niro lashes out at former assistant who sued him

Graham Chase Robinson, former assistant of Robert De Niro, had accused the actor of being abusive

Actor Robert De Niro shouted “Shame on you!” as he testified on Tuesday in a New York courtroom, directing the comments toward his former executive assistant and vice president who seeks millions of dollars after accusing her onetime boss of being abusive.

Graham Chase Robinson watched with her lawyers while De Niro's anger built as attorney Andrew Macurdy pelted him with some tabloid-style accusations his client made about De Niro's behaviour toward Robinson as she served his needs, large and small, from 2008 until several months into 2019.

Robinson, 41, seeks $12 million in damages for emotional distress and reputational harm that she claims has left her jobless and unable to recover from the trauma of working for De Niro. She was making $300,000 annually when she quit, frustrated by her interactions with De Niro's girlfriend and the effect she believed the girlfriend was having on the actor.

The jury is also considering evidence pertaining to a lawsuit De Niro filed against Robinson in which he claimed that she stole things from him, including 5 million points that could be used for airline flights. De Niro is seeking the return of three years of Robinson's salary.

Macurdy asked De Niro whether it was true that he sometimes urinated as he spoke with Robinson on the telephone.

“That's nonsense,” De Niro answered. “You got us all here for this?”

Macurdy told De Niro he called Robinson "b—— to her face.”