Robert De Niro's Girlfriend Defends Actor in Legal Battle Against Ex-Assistant
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Robert De Niro and Tiffany Chen
Tiffany Chen is coming to partner Robert De Niro's defense amid the ongoing legal battle against his ex-assistant.
The actor continues to face off against former employee Graham Chase Robinson, who De Niro and his company, Canal Productions, are suing for improper spending and abusing her work privileges. In a countersuit, Robinson accuses the film star of gender discrimination and harassment.
On Thursday, Nov. 2, De Niro's girlfriend gave her testimony in a federal New York City courthouse, where she addressed her relationship with Robinson, whom she first met in 2018.
"She was very strange from the beginning and always uncomfortable to be around, " Chen divulged on the stand, according to a report from PEOPLE. "I was killing her with kindness."
But despite her efforts, Chen claimed that Robinson was "mean-spirited and bitchy" during her employment. "She was a hot mess. Her schedule was off all the time," Chen added.
While addressing accusations that Robinson was forced to do tasks for De Niro that were outside of her job description, Chen insisted that Robinson chose to do so. She also maintained that Robinson was never asked to do something for the job that wasn't "within professional reasoning."
"She wanted to be everywhere with him shopping, so she came with when he said, 'Let’s go pick out plants,'" Chen stated. "She volunteered [to help him shop for gifts] on her own."
During her testimony, Chen also addressed text messages she sent to Dinero about Robinson "demented imaginary intimacy," and "thinking she’s [De Niro’s wife]."
Chen doubled-down on her stance while speaking to the court on Thursday, stating, "I think that’s what she was striving to be…. She’s crazy."
"She was attached to the control she felt she had in this dynamic," she added. "If her fantasy is going to infringe on my personal life and she was in the office, of course I’m going to [acknowledge the behavior]. It’s too weird."
Throughout the time she witnessed Robinson working for De Niro, Chen said, "I went back and forth from recognizing she had serious mental health issues to just feeling bad for her."
Parade reached out to Robinson's lawyer but did not immediately hear back.
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