Robert De Niro’s former personal assistant Graham Chase Robinson breaks down in court as he recalls the “creepy” and “disgusting” moment he made her turn her back in a $12 million abuse lawsuit against the boss to scratch

Robert De Niro’s former assistant broke down in tears in court on Friday as she recalled the “creepy” and “disgusting” moment he ordered her to scratch her back.

Graham Chase Robinson, 41, is suing the 80-year-old actor for alleged gender discrimination while she worked for his company Canal Productions between 2008 and 2019.

During her testimony in Manhattan Federal Court on the fifth day of the high-profile trial, Robinson accused De Niro of making her “physically uncomfortable” by asking her to scratch her back because of “the way you.” do it.”

The actor previously admitted to asking Robinson to scratch his back “once or twice,” but said it was never done in a “disrespectful way.”

She also claimed he called her “b****” two or three times during her employment and frequently swore at her – which she described as “hurtful” and “demeaning”.

Graham Chase Robinson broke down in court as she described how former boss Robert DeNiro asked her to scratch his back, calling the request “creepy.”

Robinson said she told De Niro he could use a back scratch, but he told her, “I prefer the way you do it” – which she said made her “uncomfortable.”

De Niro, pictured in New York on Thursday night, admitted he may have asked her to scratch her back once or twice, but “never with disrespect or indecency.”

Robinson’s $12 million lawsuit was filed four years ago, shortly after De Niro sued her for misusing the company’s accounts.

She claimed that De Niro had asked her to scratch her back about three times in the last three years.

“I mentioned that he could use a back scratcher instead,” she told the court.

“He said, ‘I prefer the way you do it’.”

“It was scary, just disgusting,” she added before breaking down in tears.

Robinson also claimed she was called a “b****” by De Niro on more than one occasion while working for him.

She said the first incident occurred when a fire broke out in his New York townhouse and she was listed as an emergency contact at the security company.

“I tried to remove my name from ADT because I didn’t live there and it wasn’t a liability or responsibility that I wanted,” Robinson told the court.

‘Bob [De Niro] was really angry and started calling me names, saying I was complaining and he didn’t want to hear it.

“He hung up and called back, insulted me even more and said I was acting like a little idiot, and hung up again.”

She recalled another incident in December 2017 where Di Niro was reportedly angry because he couldn’t find Christmas presents in the office.

“He was screaming because he couldn’t find some of the gifts in the office,” Robinson said.

“He swore left and right. I tried to clarify but he just said I sucked.

“I complained about him calling me names and said please don’t curse me.”

She became emotional and said: “It was very difficult.” It’s very demeaning and hurtful to be called that when you’re just trying to do your job.

“It’s extremely hurtful to hear that from your boss.”

Her comments came after De Niro lost his temper during his testimony in the trial on Tuesday.

In a surprising moment on the witness stand, the Oscar-winning actor confronted Robinson and told a stunned courtroom, “Shame on you, Chase Robinson!” Thank God! I’m sorry.’

The 41-year-old is suing De Niro, 80, for alleged gender discrimination while she worked at his company Canal Productions

The Taxi Driver actor allegedly called Robinson a “b****” two to three times during her employment with his company Canal Productions, she said during her testimony

The former assistant, pictured here leaving court earlier this week, filed her lawsuit shortly after De Niro sued her for misusing company funds

Meanwhile, his girlfriend Tiffany Chen, 64, called the actor’s former assistant “psychotic” in a heated statement on Thursday.

She took a stand to lambast De Niro’s former collaborator Graham Chase Robinson, who she claimed had an “imagined intimacy” with the Oscar winner.

Chen admitted that she pressured De Niro to fire Robinson after their relationship broke down over issues including meals on his private jet and renovations at their Manhattan townhouse.

Her testimony came after jurors were shown a series of hostile email and text exchanges between Chen, Robinson and De Niro days earlier, including a 2 a.m. email from Chen to the actor that said: ” If you keep her (Robinson), we’ll both have problems’.

Robinson began working for De Niro in 2008 as his assistant and eventually rose to vice president of Canal Productions. She reportedly received a salary of $300,000 when she resigned in April 2019.

Chen’s hostility toward Robinson came through clearly in her statement, as she compared the former assistant to the main character of the 1992 hit “Single White Female.”

This included Chen agreeing to describe Robinson as “obsessive, psychotic and dangerous.”

Chen also appeared upset that their confidential text exchanges were revealed in court.

De Niro’s girlfriend Tiffany Chen (pictured) dismissed Robinson as “obsessive, psychotic and dangerous” in heated testimony earlier this week as jurors were shown a series of hostile messages between her, Robinson and De Niro

She was questioned about whether she had forced an ultimatum on De Niro to fire Robinson in 2018, a year before she resigned, which included texts that said: “I won’t be happy until you tell me that she is looking for a replacement.” . “Keeping her with me is just a slap in the face.”

When asked if she wrote the lyrics, she replied: “Yes, I wrote them.”

The court noted that their relationship deteriorated after De Niro and Chen moved into a new townhouse in 2018, the same year De Niro split from his ex-wife Grace Hightower.

The court heard Robinson had a perceived lack of respect for the couple’s plans, which led to a 2019 text from Chen to De Niro that said: “Your possessive behavior towards the house makes me very uncomfortable. “

“Her sense of entitlement is based on this imagined intimacy she has with you,” the text continues. “She thinks she’s your wife and has decided to be the lady of the house.”

Chen’s disapproval of Robinson’s attitude at the time included another text message in March 2019 that said she was “fed up with Chase’s bulls***.”

When asked if she believed Robinson was in a relationship with De Niro, Chen said, “I think she knows she doesn’t have a relationship, but that makes her angry because she’s pursuing it.”

Chen told De Niro he “allowed” her to do it. [Robinson] “to be disrespectful” and advocated for the assistant to be fired, texts show

“She definitely believes she is responsible for everyone,” Chen added.

In her lawsuit, Robinson alleged that De Niro humiliated her with menial tasks like scratching his back and claimed she wasn’t paid as much as a male employee who she said had similar duties.

De Niro testified Tuesday that Robinson asked to be paid the same as his longtime coach, which he refused because he “traveled with me for 40 years and left his family to be with me for a long time.” to be”.

He said, “She’s jealous of him.”

Additional texts from Chen appeared to acknowledge this disagreement, telling the Oscar winner, “If you keep her, you and I will have problems at some point because you allowed her to be disrespectful to you and now says.” tell you what she’s going to do and what her job is.’

Chen also texted Michael Kaplan, another Canal Productions employee who testified at the trial, claiming that Robinson had sneaked into her bedroom and unplugged her electronic devices.

She said Robinson had a personality like “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide,” which would turn De Niro around in an instant and “confuse the situation.”

Robinson is seeking $12 million in damages from De Niro for severe emotional distress and defamation of reputation

Chen felt that her behavior towards the couple was because she dreamed of being with the actor, adding: “I believed that she was living her whole life as a fantasy.”

“If her fantasies interfere with my personal life… I will give her a hard time,” she added. “She was attached to the control she thought she had in this dynamic.”

Chen was questioned about a dispute over meals on a private jet in early 2019, shortly before her resignation, as she and De Niro returned from a vacation in Antigua.

After learning that Robinson had specifically asked flight attendants not to serve food on the flight, Chen texted De Niro: “I’m worried that her evil alter ego will cause serious problems in the future if she doesn’t do it now is called.”

“She’s a mean, insecure, territorial girl and her behavior hasn’t just affected me, it does it to everyone in your life in different ways.”

Robinson claims in her lawsuit that De Niro treated her like an “office lady” and forced her to perform menial tasks, including washing his sheets and scratching his back. Robinson also claims she was paid less than a male employee who she said had similar duties.

She is seeking $12 million in damages for severe emotional distress and defamation of reputation.

Her million-dollar lawsuit was quickly launched after De Niro’s Canal Productions filed an initial lawsuit in August 2019 accusing her of improper expenses, including transferring over $450,000 worth of airline miles from the company to her personal account.

She is also accused of spending tens of thousands more on personal items, food and travel, and spending her days watching Netflix.

Both lawsuits are expected to be decided in the same trial, which is expected to last two weeks.