What is Munchausen Syndrome? Robert De Niro’s former assistant calls actor’s girlfriend a “sociopath”

Robert De Niro’s ex-assistant said that the actor’s girlfriend, Tiffany Chen had Munchausen Syndrome in recorded phone calls which were played in a Manhattan court on Monday, November 6, 2023.

For the uninitiated, Munchausen Syndrome is a disorder that happens when someone falsifies and/or exaggerates an illness to get more attention and sympathy. They usually tend to lie about symptoms, sabotage medical tests, or harm themselves to manipulate people, as per Cleveland Clinic.

In the phone calls played in court for jurors during her cross-examination, the ex-assistant, Graham Chase Robinson, called Chen a lot of names, including a "sociopath." She also added that Chen was "f*cking nuts" during phone calls with colleagues.

The ongoing legal battle between the famous actor De Niro and Chase Robinson started in October 2019, after the ex-assistant left her job at Canal Productions. Robinson has accused De Niro of alleged misconduct in the workplace during the 11 years that they worked together, as per The New York Post.

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Munchausen Syndrome explored as Robert De Niro's ex-assistant, Graham Chase Robinson, calls out his girlfriend in legal battle

Robert De Niro's ex-assistant, Graham Chase Robinson has sued the Godfather actor for a $12 million (£9.9 million) workplace discrimination lawsuit, alleging that she suffered "extreme emotional distress and reputational harm" while working at his private company, Canal Productions, for 11 years.

In turn, De Niro also sued Robinson in August 2019. He alleged that before his former assistant quit, she committed theft by taking his cash, some electronic equipment, and $450,000 worth of air miles. She reportedly left her work following disputes with the actor's girlfriend Tiffany Chen, as per The Independent.

On November 6, 2023, recorded phone calls were played in court between Graham Chase Robinson and her colleagues at the time of her employment with Robert De Niro. The recordings were presented to the jurors as the ex-assistant was cross-examined in a Manhattan court. In one particular call, Robinson described Tiffany by saying:

“She has Munchausen’s.”

The plaintiff was referring to the Munchausen Syndrome, which is commonly associated with patients who pathologically lie about illness or suffering to get attention or sympathy from loved ones, as per The New York Post.

Chase Robinson had secretly recorded the phone calls in March 2019 when Tiffany Chen, was reportedly having a meltdown about mold in Robert De Niro’s Upper East Side townhouse while the building was being renovated, as per AP News. In another call, she compared Chen to Robert De Niro's ex-wife, Grace Hightower, adding:

"Grace I understood. She was the Devil that I knew. She did it by bullying and staring at you …Tiffany is a sociopath. She’s going a completely different way."

Chase Robinson’s relationship with Tiffany Chen has become a significant topic of the trial.

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Tiffany Chen's testimony about Chase Robinson

On Thursday, November 2, 2023, Tiffany Chen testified that Chase Robinson had delusions of an “imagined intimacy” with her boss, Robert De Niro, and that she had a hidden agenda to become his wife.

As their relationship faltered even more, Tiffany claimed in court that she had even presented an ultimatum to Robert in March 2019, telling him that he would need to pick between her and Robinson. According to The New York Post, She texted De Niro around 2:30 a.m. in March 2019 saying:

"If you keep her, you and I will eventually have problems. I’m not gonna be happy until you tell me she is looking for her replacement.”

Chen testified before attorney Herbert McNight about Robinson's alleged delusions, saying:

"I now think she believed that. I think that’s what she believes. She’s crazy. I think she knows she’s not, and that made her angry because she was striving to be-"

She was interrupted by McNight who asked, “Striving to be De Niro’s wife?”, to which Tiffany replied, "Yes."

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Robert De Niro and Tiffany Chen are believed to have been together since at least 2021. According to CBS, the couple welcomed a baby girl in April 2023, naming her Gia Virginia Chen De Niro.