NEW YORK — A jury has ordered Robert De Niro’s company to pay more than $1.2 million to his former personal assistant after finding his production company engaged in gender discrimination and retaliation.
Robinson, 41, testified that De Niro, 80, and his girlfriend, Tiffany Chen, teamed up against her to turn a job she once loved into a nightmare. When she quit, De Niro said, Robinson stole about $85,000 in airline miles from him, betrayed his trust and violated his unwritten rules to use common sense and always do the right thing.
He admitted that he had berated her, though he disputed ever aiming a profanity her way, saying: “I was never abusive, ever.” Robinson testified that she quit her job during an “emotional and mental breakdown” that left her overwhelmed and feeling like she'd “hit rock bottom.” De Niro's lawyers sued Robinson for breach of loyalty and fiduciary duty even before her lawsuit was filed against him in 2019. They sought $6 million in damages, including a return of the 5 million airline miles.