Robert De Niro is in legal trouble: the two-time Oscar-winning actor has been hit with a $12 million lawsuit for "gender discrimination." The former "Raging Bull" actor, now the star of Martin Scorsese's latest film, "The Irishman," is being accused by Graham Chase Robinson, a veteran and former employee of his Canal Productions, who was forced to resign from her position as vice president last April after repeatedly being the target of threats, insults, and unwanted advances. The allegations include voicemail messages in which the "Taxi Driver" star called her a "slut" and a "spoiled brat," "unwanted and gratuitous" physical contact, and sexually explicit comments and jokes. The lawsuit, filed today in Manhattan federal court, also includes wage violations in the $12 million in damages. "Robert De Niro has clung to old traditions. He doesn't understand that men can treat women as equals. Nor does he care that gender discrimination in the workplace violates the law. Mrs. Robinson is a victim of this attitude," the complaint states. According to the plaintiff, the actor treated her like his "office wife," forcing her to perform traditionally female tasks, paying her less than his male colleagues, and denying her overtime. Attached to the charges is a recording of a message De Niro left on her answering machine when she didn't answer. Using profanity, the actor threatened to fire her: "How dare you not answer my calls? You're f--king history." The lawsuit is the second to divide De Niro and his former employee: The actor had asked Robinson for $6 million in damages for embezzling money from the company and also for watching Netflix series during work hours. The case went viral when it was learned that Robinson had spent a total of four days last January watching 55 episodes of Friends.
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