Robert De Niro's company found liable for gender discrimination
New York, New York - A jury on Thursday found Robert De Niro's production company liable for gender discrimination against a former employee who said she had been forced to perform "stereotypically female" jobs for the star.
De Niro's Canal Productions was ordered to pay $1.3 million to Graham Chase Robinson, who said the Raging Bull actor had ordered her to wash sheets, vacuum his apartment, and organize soirées eUS actor Robert De Niro departs the Manhattan Federal Court in New York City on November 8, 2023. De Niro is being sued by Graham Chase Robinson, who worked as his executive assistant in 2008 and eventually as vice president of his company, Canal Productions, before leaving in 2019. Robinson is seeking at least $12 million USD in damages for alleged emotional distress and reputational harm from De Niro and his company. Adam GRAY / AFPven after she was promoted to senior roles at the company.
She accused him of unwanted physical contact, and making sexually charged comments.
The damages awarded also covered Robinson's successful claim of retaliation. She claimed De Niro refused to write her recommendation letters or pay her severance.
The jury dismissed the original lawsuit filed by Canal Productions against Chase Robinson.
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De Niro's company had accused her of charging hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal expenses to a company credit card, claiming millions of air miles for personal use, and binge-watching "astounding hours of TV shows on Netflix" on company time.
"We are delighted that the jury saw what we saw and returned a verdict in Chase Robinson's favor against Robert De Niro's company, Canal Productions," her lawyer David Sanford wrote in a statement.
"Not only did Ms. Robinson win her case against Canal but the jury completely vindicated Ms Robinson by finding De Niro's claims against her to be without merit."
De Niro, did not attend Thursday's hearing, was not found individually liable.
Earlier in the two-week trial he testified that Chase Robinson's claims were "nonsense."
The jury deliberated for around five hours before returning their verdicts.
Cover photo: Collage: DAVID DEE DELGADO / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AF & ANGELA WEISS / AFP