| Bob De Niro
Assistant Chase Robinson Crossed on Delta
Sky Miles and LSE Qualifications
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
Nov 6 – Robert De Niro and
Canal Productions were sued in
2019 for gender discrimination
by Graham Chase Robinson, who
had begun working as De Niro's
executive assistant in 2008,
at 25 years old.
She said
she was discriminated against
- then De Niro sued her, and
she sued him.
On March 10, 2020
U.S. District Court for the
Southern District of New York
Magistrate Judge Katharine H.
Parker held a
proceeding. Inner City Press
covered it. Inner City
Press had previously checked
in on the case, on January 30,
2020, here.
"in SDNY, Robert
De Niro is being sued by
former employee Graham Chase
Robinson for gender
discrimination, not paying
overtime - and retaliating. De
Niro's lawyers complaint to
SDNY Magistrate Judge Parker
that the plaintiff won't say
to whose salary she's
comparing what she was paid."
The case
was reassigned to District
Judge Lewis J. Liman; a
protective order was filed.
On October 30,
2023, the trial is set to
begin with jury selection, and
to sit daily from 9 to 5. It
begin a civil case, each side
gets 20 hours...
Inner City
Press called to cover the June
28, 2021 conference, and found
the defendants hammering away
at plaintiff Robinson's
alleged misrepresentations.
On December 15,
2021, there was another
conference, that Inner City
live tweeted here
On January 31,
2022 Judge Parker held another
proceeding and Inner City
Press again covered it. Judge
Parker extended discovery,
reluctantly she said, "for the
sole purpose of deposing the
five individuals identified by
Plaintiff: Mr. Robert De Niro,
Mr. Michael Kaplan, Tom
Harvey, Michael Tasch and
Tiffany Chen.
On December 30,
2022, Judge Parker denied a
request to seal a filing
concerning among other things
De Niro's claim that Robinson
was "binge-watching Netflix"
and misusing SkyMiles.
Jump cut to the
first day of trail on October
30, 2023. De Niro was on the
stand being questioned about
his texts with Tiffany Chen,
who accused the plaintiff of
"imaginary intimacy." Thread:
Plaintiff
Robinson's counsel: It was to
get out the middle of your
relationship with Ms Tiffany
Chen?
De Niro: Uh, yes.
Jury is shown
Tiffany Chen's text to De Niro
about Robinson's "imaginary
intimacy" with De Niro.
Q: Ms Chen gave
you an ultimatum to get rid of
Ms Robinson?
With jury gone
for the day, lawyers are
fighting about exhibits. De
Niro in a dark green polo
shirt and jacket, leaves the
courtroom
There followed a
discussion of exhibits PX97
and PX 18.
On November 2,
Tiffany Chen was on the stand.
Among other things, she called
out the plaintiff as "crazy"
and bullsh*t, whereupon
counsel told her, Let's try to
filter ourselves a bit more in
court.
Yeah, let's. With
the jury out of the room,
plaintiff's counsel asked for
a limiting instruction as to
the crazy talk. Denied.
On November 3,
Inner City Press managed to
really live tweet some of the
trial, on SDNYLIVE, thread:
De Niro's lawyer:
Did you dispose of your
recordings of Mr. De Niro and
his company? Chase Robinson:
No.
De Niro's lawyer:
Would you agree it's over 40
hours of recordings? Chase
Robinson: It's about that
De Niro's lawyer:
You know Mr. De Niro values
privacy? Chase Robinson: I
believe he does. De Niro's
lawyer: It's your belief that
if he knew, he might have
fired you? Chase Robinson: I
don't know what Bob would have
done.
De Niro's
lawyer: In your recordings,
did you say you were the
victim of gender
discrimination? Chase
Robinson: There are records
about Tiffany -- De Niro's
lawyer: You used the term
gender discrimination? Chase
Robinson: No.
De Niro's lawyer:
You're suing for millions and
you didn't listen to them?
Chase Robinson: I lived these
calls. De Niro's lawyer: You
were a personal assistant to
Bob? Chase Robinson: I was an
executive assistant to Bob.
De Niro's lawyer:
Then you were called director
of production at Canal? You
created the title? Chase
Robinson: I discussed it with
Bob
De Niro's lawyer:
At the end your signature
block said "Office of Chase
Robinson." Was there an
Office? Chase Robinson: Lulu
became my assistant...
American Express and Delta Sky
Miles can be confusing.
De Niro's lawyer:
We're going to talk about the
B word..
De Niro's
lawyer: Did you use the B word
in the Offices of Canal? Chase
Robinson: No. De Niro's
lawyer: In written
correspondence on behalf of
Canal?
Chase Robinson:
There's a possibility. It's a
common curse word. Depends how
it's used
De Niro's
lawyer: You used the word to
describe Ms. [TIffany] Chen?
I'm going to play the audio of
some calls. [Audio of Chase
Robinson: Bob and I have had
our moments, I have pulled
back for obvious reasons, I
don't want to be a triangle of
this, she's f*ckin
De Niro's
lawyer: What did you mean?
Chase Robinson: I wanted to
get out of the middle of them
and their home live, their
personal life. De Niro's
lawyer: Next clip, DX 84
Audio of Chase
Robinson: I need to wrap up,
two years or two f*cking days,
I need my space
Audio of Chase
Robinson: I can't, I just
can't. I have plans, I plan on
things, I literally canceled
my f*cking weekend, you're a
socio pathic b*tch, she should
grow a pair of ba*ls De Niro's
lawyer: Were you referring to
Ms. Chen? Chase Robinson: Uh,
no.
Audio of
Chase Robinson: F*cking
TIffany wants to run the
house, she's so... I did
six bags of shredding
yesterday De Niro's lawyer:
You were angry about your
interactions with Ms. Chen and
recording another employee?
Chase Robinson: I was scanning
and shredding
De Niro's
lawyer: You were free to quit
in 2008? Chase Robinson:
Technically. De Niro's
lawyer: You got a raise to
$300,000 a year?
Chase Robinson:
Yes. De Niro's lawyer: Your
Honor, I'm at a breaking
point. Judge Liman: We'll go
to five.
De Niro's
lawyer: Matters related to
Bob's family were sensitive,
yes? Chase Robinson: All
families are. De Niro's
lawyer: You were privy to his
personal life? Chase Robinson:
I was. Judge Liman:
We'll break for the day.
Counsel, remain... [Jurors
leave]
Judge Liman: I'd
like your comments on the
draft jury charge by Saturday
at 5 pm. [Counsel makes
religious objection, gets
Sunday]
Defense: We may
have two more witnesses:
Michael Tasch on AmEx, and Dan
Harvey Judge Liman: On AmEx,
you could have asked questions
De Niro's
lawyer: What about the verdict
form? We submitted a draft --
Judge Liman: Send me more if
either of you have more
thoughts. Adjourned.
November 6 ended
with Chase Robinson still on
cross examination. Inner City
Press live tweeted, thread here:
De Niro's lawyer:
You agree that Tiffany Chen
had every right not to want
you in the townhouse?
Chase Robinson:
She could speak to her
boyfriend... But the way it
was handled was not
professional.
De Niro's
lawyer: Four years into the
litigation, you haven't
through what you could have
done differently? Chase
Robinson: Not in that way.
De Niro's
lawyer: What made you think
you could be accepted to the
London School of Economics?
Since they have graduates like
Daniel Patrick Moynahan?
Plaintiff's
counsel: Objection! Judge:
Overruled. Questions are not
evidence. Plaintiff: I did
well in school
De Niro's
lawyer: Do you think if you'd
gotten into business school
you could do it? Chase
Robinson: Yes, in 2019, before
the fall.
De Niro's lawyer:
You proposed to Bob, two years
at $300,000 and medical? Chase
Robinson: That he honor his
agreement
De Niro's lawyer:
And you wanted to retain your
Delta Sky Miles because they
were valuable?
Chase Robinson:
It was part of my
compensation. De Niro's
lawyer: You demanded 4
business school
recommendations and a press
release? Chase Robinson: To
waive severance
De Niro's
lawyer: Tom Harvey told you
Bob thought you stole the Sky
Miles? Chase Robinson: Well,
that Bob wasn't convinced.
De Niro's lawyer:
Did you meet with lawyers 4
times before you went to a
psychiatrist? Chase Robinson:
I don't recall.
De Niro's
lawyer: Suggest we break for
the day. Judge: Jurors, see
you tomorrow. All rise!
The trial
continues.
The case is
Robinson v. De Niro et al.,
19-cv-9156 (Liman / Parker)
***
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