Robert DeNiro, Yikes: When You Make Yourself Sound Guilty

Daniel Holtzclaw is my classic example of not needing to hear the other side of the story, because someone's own version of events makes them sound guilty.

Robert DeNiro might be my new prime example, becuase holy mackerel.  I never heard anything about any of this, because I really don't care about celebrity gossip, movies, or whatever.  I like some of the movies he's in for obvious reasons.  But yuck, good Lord.  As a survivor some of this is so self-evident.

The Daily Beast

"While testifying last Tuesday, the actor denied her claims, calling them “nonsense.” His lawyers portrayed him as a victim of a woman scorned, alleging Robinson was looking to cause “drama and conflict.” He allowed, however, that he might have called Robinson a “bitch” and a “fucking spoiled brat” in instances where her behavior frustrated him.

“I berated her,” he said. “I wasn’t abusive. I was annoyed.”"

DARVO is a helpful acronym for a common tactic employed by abusive people when confronted with their bad behavior:  Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender.  Above is a classic example.  "I berated her.  I called her a bitch and a fucking brat.  But that wasn't abusive.  I was annoyed.  That's just her being a woman scorned, and also she's a thief."   But then the court found that no, she wasn't a thief.

This is where it all goes off the rails.

"What’s more, Robinson testified, she was treated as De Niro’s “office wife,” subjected to “stereotypically female job duties” that were “inconsistent with her job title,” including scratching his back. (The actor acknowledged in court that he had made the back-scratching requests, adding, “You got me!”)

While De Niro’s team claimed Robinson left Canal after “suspicions arose” over her “honesty, integrity, work ethic and motivation,” the 41-year-old said in her countersuit that she’d been forced out by De Niro over escalating tensions with his girlfriend of five years, Tiffany Chen.
In emails to De Niro shown in court, Chen called Robinson “a mean, insecure, territorial girl” who had dreamed up a “demented imaginary intimacy” with him.
Questioned about her emails on the stand, Chen held little back. “She’s crazy,” she said, adding at various points that Robinson was “a hot mess,” “nuts,” and “psychotic.”

That last paragraph really comes across as pure projection, obvious on its face due to the context.  Robinson is complaining about being treated as an "office wife."  She doesn't like being asked to scratch his back, for example.  Being called a bitch or spoiled brat are overly personal.  What a great job she did of proving Robinson's case.  She and DeNiro are perfect for each other and Robinson is well out of there.  Pay the lady.