While testifying in a New York courtroom this week, actor Robert De Niro lost his temper and shouted “Shame on you” to his former executive assistant who is suing her former boss for abuse, CBS News reported.
Attorney Andrew Macurdy, who represents former executive assistant Graham Chase Robinson, grilled De Niro on the stand on Tuesday, hitting him with some of the accusations Robinson has made about his behavior.
Robinson, who worked for De Niro from 2008 until early 2019, is seeking $12 million in damages for reputational harm and emotional distress, alleging that she was left unemployable and traumatized from working with the Oscar-winning actor.
The 41-year-old Robinson was earning $300,000 a year when she quit over her interactions with De Niro’s girlfriend whom she claims had an undue influence on the actor.
The jury in the trial is also hearing evidence from a countersuit De Niro filed against Robinson claiming she stole from him. The actor is seeking the equivalent of three years of Robinson’s salary.
When Macurdy asked De Niro if it was true that he would sometimes urinate while speaking on the phone with Robinson, the actor expressed disgust at the question, incredulously telling Robinson, “You got us all here for this?”
When Macurdy accused De Niro of calling Robinson a “bitch to her face,” the actor snapped that he was never abusive to Robinson but conceded that he may have used the word when speaking to her.
After repeated similar questions, De Niro eventually lost his temper, shouting at Robinson, “Shame on you, Chase Robinson!”
The actor immediately regretted his outburst, offering a quiet apology as he glanced at the judge.
On occasion, the 80-year-old actor would flatly deny a claim made by Macurdy only to later acknowledge that there might have been some truth to it.
During his testimony, De Niro frequently expressed frustration over having to testify, at one point saying, “I don’t have time for this.”
