ABC/Fred Lee(NEW YORK) — Robert De Niro’s former assistant has filed a lawsuit against the Oscar-winner, alleging he subjected her to “verbally abusive” and “sexually-charged” behavior, including leaving her voicemails filled with vulgar language.
“Robert De Niro is someone who has clung to old mores,” the lawsuit, filed by Graham Chase Robinson, says. “He does not accept the idea that men should treat women as equals. He does not care that gender discrimination in the workplace violates the law.”
According to her lawsuit filed in the Southern District of New York, Robinson began working for De Niro at his company, Canal Productions, in 2008 when she was 25 and was subjected to “years of gender discrimination and harassment.” The claim says she warned De Niro about his behavior.
“On the heels of Ms. Robinson’s complaints of gender discrimination, De Niro had Canal Productions file an abusive, preemptive lawsuit against her,” her suit says. “The lawsuit concocted false allegations designed to inhibit Ms. Robinson from pursuing her claims, destroy her reputation, and obliterate her job prospects.”
That earlier suit, filed in Manhattan State Supreme Court, called Robinson “disloyal” and alleged she misappropriated funds and binge-watched hours of TV on the job.
Robinson alleges that De Niro made vulgar comments, joked about Viagra, directed her to imagine him on the toilet and subjected her to gratuitous physical contact.
“Among other things, De Niro would direct Ms. Robinson to scratch his back, button his shirts, fix his collars, tie his ties, and prod him awake when he was in bed,” the lawsuit said.
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