Is there anything more intimidating than Robert De Niro’s “I’m watching you” in Meet The Parents? Yes – Robert De Niro suing you for embezzling money and binge watching Friends on the job.
According to Variety, De Niro’s company Canal Productions has filed a $6M USD lawsuit against former employee Chase Robinson, accusing her of embezzling money and spending an “astronomical amount of time” watching Netflix.
Variety reports that Robinson wasn’t just binge watching any old Netflix show, either. She allegedly watched 55 episodes of Friends in just four days.
Now that is commitment to your favourite show.
It gets worse for Robinson. Canal Productions has also alleged that during one of the four days Robinson spent in a black hole of Netflix and chill, she “ordered lunch from Caviar San Francisco and had dinner at Paola’s Restaurant, charging both meals on the company card.”
Over two years, Robinson allegedly made over $12K USD in unauthorised charges at Paola’s, spent almost $9K USD at Dean and Deluca and Whole Foods, and $32K USD on Ubers and Taxis.
Is it just me, or does this sound like an absolutely delightful day?
Robinson continued her streaming love affair during another four-day period in March, when she allegedly watched “20 episodes of Arrested Development” and “10 episodes of Schitt’s Creek.”
“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 lawsuit claims.
In one final flourish of giving zero f*cks, Robinson reportedly called the allegations “ridiculous” and drafted a recommendation letter for herself, which De Niro refused to sign.
If the allegations are true, it’s clear that Robinson’s work ethic is terrible. Her taste in TV shows on the other hand? Impeccable.