Robert De Niro files $6 mn suit against former employee for allegedly binge-watching Netflix at work

Robert De Niro’s loan-out company, Canal Productions, has filed a $6 million lawsuit against a former employee, accusing her of embezzling money and binge-watching Netflix while on the job, reports Variety. Chase Robinson, was first hired as an assistant to De Niro in 2008, but later promoted to ‘Vice President of Production & Finance’ to ensure that Canal was not being used by employees for their own personal gain or expenses with a salary of $300,000 (as of 2019). The suit, however, alleges that Robinson abused her position to inappropriately use “her employer’s fund for her personal gain.” She quit the company in April amid growing concerns about alleged “corporate sabotage,” the suit states. [caption id=“attachment_5446401” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Robert De Niro. Image via Twitter/[/caption] Apparently, in a four-day period in January, Robinson watched 55 episodes of Friends. Canal also claims that in March, she watched 20 episodes of Arrested Development and 10 episodes of Schitt’s Creek. The lawsuit declares that “watching shows on Netflix was not in any way part of or related to the duties and responsibilities of Robinson’s employment and, on information and belief, was done for her personal entertainment, amusement and pleasure at times when she was being paid to work.” The company further claims that she used millions of De Niro’s frequent flyer miles for personal trips, and submitted false information to get paid for 96 days of “unused” vacation time, for which she received $70,000, per the filing. The suit which was filed on 16 August, alleges Robinson ran exorbitant charges on company card for Whole Foods, Dean and Deluca, and Uber trips. According to People, De Niro’s company is seeking no less than $3 million for her “disloyalty and violation of the faithless servant doctrine” and no less than $3 million in damages for the “funds and property misappropriated by Defendant during her employment.” It was further reported that before leaving the company, Robinson had drafted a recommendation letter for herself which De Niro declined to sign. In her resignation email, she allegedly brushed off concerns about her spending and other issues as “ridiculous.”