Robert De Niro’s former assistant is suing the actor, showing how such relationships can get blurred. What’s it really like working 24/7 for Hollywood A-listers?
Robert De Niro’s assistant, Graham Robinson, is currently suing the actor for $12m in damages for severe emotional distress and reputational harm. For years, the PA decorated De Niro’s Christmas tree, helping to furnish one of his homes, and creating Valentine’s Day cards for his then-wife. She escorted him to hospital in the middle of the night after he cracked his back.
Whatever the outcome of the civil lawsuit, it’s clear that the boundaries in a celebrity PA role can be easily blurred. During her time as an assistant, Whitlock was asked to try some liquid, which she spat out in disgust. “Yeah I thought the milk smelled sour, but I couldn’t tell for sure,” replied her boss. She was given lunch orders including: “Exactly 25 almonds”, and her boss asked her how much she weighed and then sigh in relief and say, “Well, that makes me feel better.
Is granting a celebrity’s every wish, however ridiculous, all worth it, simply to be immersed in the world of the rich and famous? In the 90s, LA wages for a PA were equivalent to $100,000 a week. Brian Daniel, a headhunter for celebrity assistants said. “If you are extraordinary and you work with someone like George Clooney who has a big production company, you can earn between $100,000 to $200,000 a year.