Robert De Niro says he 'berated' former assistant but calls workplace abuse claims 'nonsense' at trial

Robert De Niro is in the midst of a legal dispute with his former assistant Graham Chase Robinson — and according to PEOPLE, in Tuesday's testimony he admitted to raising his voice at the former employee.

Robinson's lawyer Andrew Macurdy asked the Killers of the Flower Moon actor if he had ever called his ex-assistant names during her 11 years working for his company.

"Yeah, fine, I berated her," De Niro conceded, also confirming that he may have called Robinson "snippy," "petulant," and a "f---ing spoiled brat."

However, the actor sought to set the record straight, clarifying that he never shouted. "I've raised my voice," said De Niro. "I don't yell. You wanna dispute that? That's one thing I don't do."

Robinson sued De Niro's company Canal Productions for $12 million in 2019 after the company initially sued her for $6 million the same year. Canal's lawsuit against Robinson alleged that the ex-employee inappropriately used the company's funds for personal matters like meals, and also alleged that she binged Netflix shows during work hours.

In her counter-lawsuit, Robinson claimed that the company violated New York City Human Rights Law by making gender-based discriminations against her, alleging that De Niro underpaid her compared to a male coworker, made sexist comments about her, and asked her to perform "stereotypically female job duties that were inconsistent with her job title."

De Niro made it clear during his testimony that he saw no legitimacy in Robinson's claims. "Give me a break with that nonsense… For her to use that is so ridiculous," he said. "Every little thing she's trying to get me on is nonsense! Shame on you, Chase Robinson," he stated after being questioned about allegedly asking Robinson to scratch his back. De Niro later apologized for his outburst.

Representatives for De Niro declined EW's request for comment.

Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.

Related content:

• Leonardo DiCaprio's improv annoyed Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese in Killers of the Flower Moon
• Yes, Robert De Niro really spanked Leonardo DiCaprio in that Killers of the Flower Moon scene
• Robert De Niro compares his Killers of the Flower Moon character to 'stupid' Donald Trump