For the past week, Oscar winner Robert De Niro and his former personal assistant have been locked in a court battle in what could become one of the most revealing celebrity legal disputes to date.
From hours worked to wild expectations, what is life like for those who cater to the world’s most rich and famous?De Niro and his company sued his former assistant in August 2019 – shortly after she resigned from her post – for, seeking US$6 million. The actor also claims she improperly transferred more than US$450,000 in airline miles to her personal account – an amount he said exceeded that which he initially agreed upon.
De Niro allegedly made jokes about his Viagra prescription, suggested Robinson ask her married male colleague to be her sperm donor, and would call her while using the toilet. The lawsuit also alleged De Niro had subjected Robinson to “gratuitous unwanted physical contact” and made sexually charged comments around her.
In Robinson’s lawsuit, she claimed De Niro’s suit, filed a few months before her complaint, was “retaliation”, or a preventative measure to stop her from pursuing her own claims.While testifying last week, Robinson said some of the expenses De Niro and his company had accused her of making were for other employees or De Niro himself. She also claimed she’d negotiated certain expense bonuses with her boss, such as a per diem for food and payment for taxis while on call.