Robert De Niro’s girlfriend, Tiffany Chen, took the stand in court Thursday and accused his former assistant of having mental health issues, according to People.
The plaintiff, Graham Chase Robinson, sued former employer Robert De Niro and his company Canal Productions in a gender discrimination case for allegedly violating the New York City Human Rights Law, according to People. Chen reportedly insisted Robinson acted strangely and exhibited poor conduct on the job by taking advantage of her position for personal gain.
Chen accused Robison of improper spending while employed by Canal Productions, alleged Robinson sent strange texts that were over-enthusiastically supportive of Chen’s relationship with De Niro and accused Robinson of having a “demented imaginary intimacy.”
Chen said Robinson seemed to be “thinking she’s [De Niro’s wife],” and went on to say, “I think that’s what she was striving to be … She’s crazy.”
The famous actor’s girlfriend, and mother of his newborn child, laced into Robinson by accusing her of displaying territorial behavior.
“She was attached to the control she felt she had in this dynamic … 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,” Chen said, according to People.
“She was very strange from the beginning and always uncomfortable to be around,” Chen said, per People.
In spite of her efforts to maintain a pleasant relationship with Robinson, Chen said she was “mean-spirited and bitchy,” according to People.
“She was a hot mess. Her schedule was off all the time,” Chen said.
As for the legal claims of gender discrimination made against the legendary actor, Chen denied there was any truth behind the accusations, People noted. Robinson accused De Niro of asking her to partake in inappropriate tasks that were not aligned with her job description, but Chen pushed back by saying it was Robinson who was inserting herself into situations she did not belong in.
“She wanted to be everywhere with him shopping, so she came with when he said, ‘Let’s go pick out plants,’” Chen said, according to People. “She volunteered [to help him shop for gifts] on her own.”
Chen asserted the overly-pleasant texts she received from Robinson were met with very different behavior in-person and particularly noted the difference when De Niro was present. (RELATED: ‘This Is All Nonsense!’: Robert De Niro Reportedly Lashes Out During Court Hearing On Alleged Workplace Abuse)
It was “a complete flip,” Chen said.
“When he’s not in the room, [it’s a] Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde [situation] … When Bob’s not there, she has another face,” she said, according to People. “I went back and forth from recognizing she had serious mental health issues to just feeling bad for her.”