'Severe emotional distress' | Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro embroiled in employee court case over worker abuse

Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro found himself in the midst of a heated courtroom battle on the first day of his trial in New York City, facing accusations of abusive behaviour by his former personal assistant, Graham Chase Robinson.

The former assistant filed a lawsuit against the actor, seeking $12million (£9.8million) in damages for ‘severe emotional distress and reputational harm’.

Robinson, who worked for De Niro from 2008 to 2019, alleged that her job as De Niro's vice president of production and finance involved various tasks, from decorating his Christmas tree to late-night hospital visits when he had accidents.

In her opening statements, Robinson's attorney, Andrew Macurdy, alleged that De Niro had berated his former assistant, called her derogatory names, and assigned her demeaning and physically objectionable tasks.