Actor Robert De Niro erupted on the witness stand on Tuesday, strongly criticizing his former personal assistant, Graham Chase Robinson, who is suing him for allegedly being an abusive boss. De Niro shouted across the packed Manhattan federal courtroom, "Shame on you, Chase Robinson!" in response to a question from Robinson's lawyer about whether he had audibly urinated while on the phone with his executive assistant. According to Deadline, De Niro added, "Give me a break with this stuff. You got us all here for this? I don't take liberties with people who work for me."

The civil trial in New York involves two lawsuits relating to Robinson's 11-year tenure as De Niro's assistant. Robinson has filed a $12 million lawsuit accusing De Niro of gender discrimination, claiming he treated her as an "office wife" and subjected her to verbal harassment, unwanted physical contact, and vulgar comments. She ultimately resigned from her position as De Niro's vice president of production and finance in 2019 following a dispute with De Niro's girlfriend, Tiffany Chen. The lawsuit alleges that De Niro refused to provide Robinson with a reference due to her conflicts with Chen. In response, De Niro and his company, Canal Productions, filed a lawsuit against Robinson, accusing her of misusing the corporate card for personal expenses and transferring approximately $450,000 in frequent-flier miles to her personal account after leaving her job.

During the trial, De Niro's lawyer, Richard C. Schoenstein, compared the proceedings to a movie, stating, "This trial will be like a movie but forgive me, there is no popcorn." Schoenstein argued that the allegations against De Niro were baseless and that Robinson was not a victim of discrimination. De Niro took the stand as the first witness and faced numerous questions about his workplace policies, including Robinson's alleged 24/7 availability. He insisted that he only contacted Robinson during "civilized hours" and outlined her responsibilities, such as managing his travel, scheduling, and gifts. De Niro described Robinson as a "good worker" whom he relied on until her sudden resignation during an internal investigation into her company spending. He vehemently denied Robinson's allegations and dismissed her lawyer's questions as "nonsense."

De Niro's testimony was marked by outbursts and heated exchanges. He admitted to calling Robinson names such as a "spoiled brat" or a “bitch” over the years but maintained that he was never abusive toward her. He denied any lewdness, disrespect, or inappropriate behavior. The actor also defended his girlfriend, Tiffany Chen, against allegations of jealousy and suspicion, stating that she had valid concerns about Robinson's behavior and believed there was an "imaginary intimacy" between Robinson and himself.

Robinson's lawyer, Andrew Macurdy, argued that his client had suffered severe emotional distress and reputational harm, making it difficult for her to find employment and leave her home. He claimed that De Niro had yelled at Robinson, called her derogatory names, and threatened her if she attempted to quit her job. Macurdy portrayed Robinson as a victim of De Niro's condescending, abusive, and controlling behavior.

The trial continues as both De Niro and Robinson deny the allegations against them. The outcome of the trial will determine the validity of Robinson's claims and De Niro's counterclaims.