Robert De Niro is forced to "work until the very end" to pay for the expensive tastes of his estranged husband, according to his lawyer.
According to the international press, during a divorce hearing that took place a few days ago, Robert De Niro's lawyer, Caroline Kraus, told a Manhattan judge that her client was working at an unsustainable pace to support her financially. Grace Hightower and pay late taxes.
But how did it all start? What mediated and the couple has been led into this "economic war", until the final fall?
How Robert De Niro and Grace Hightower met
Former flight attendant Grace Hightower worked at the Mr Chow restaurant in Knightsbridge, London, in 1987, when it was a popular attraction for many celebrities.
It was attended by Eric Clapton, Michael Caine, David Bowie and Joan Collins. So it came as no surprise to anyone that Robert De Niro, then one of Hollywood's most sought-after stars, went there to dine.
When Robert De Niro, then 44, visited the restaurant, Grace, then 32, the daughter of a Mississippi farmer, did not recognize him. He bombarded her with questions about everything: from the restaurant tables to his menus.
It was only when she complained about it to a colleague that she was told who he was. This revelation obviously led her to reconsider her initial bad impression on him and the couple soon began a relationship.
Now, after so many years of relationship, their tumultuous marriage has led to mutual accusations of violence, alcohol and drug abuse.
A few days ago, the couple clashed once again in a New York court during a hearing on Hightower's spending habits.
Robert De Niro has previously made great efforts to keep these discussions private and it is not difficult to understand why. The impressive sums involved and the rich lifestyles on display do not fit well with his image as a serious actor and ardent Democrat who hates Donald Trump.
The latest hearing answered many questions, such as why an actor who is widely regarded as one of the best of his generation continues to make low-quality films.
According to his lawyer, Caroline Krauss, Robert De Niro is forced to undertake any project he can get his hands on, even advertising, because he has to pay for the excessive spending habits of her 66-year-old estranged husband.
"Mr. De Niro is 77 years old, and although he loves his art, he should not be forced to work at such a pace because it happens. When will it stop? "When will he have the opportunity not to undertake every project that arises and not to work six days a week, 12 hours a day in order to meet Mrs. Hightower's thirst for Stella McCartney?", His lawyer noted.
In fact, she added that in addition to spending on the British designer's clothes, Hightower spent an average of $ 215.000 a month on her credit card and another $ 160.000 in cash. According to Kraus, Hightower is spending money faster and faster, claiming that it spent $ 1,67 million in 2019 alone. One of its wastages, according to the lawyer, was the purchase of a 1,2 million diamond ring. dollars.
Krauss went on to say that in addition to Hightower's huge financial demands, Robert De Niro is also facing millions of dollars in tax debt and that the money from his next two films will go to repay the debt, which was revealed in 2015. that was $ 6,4 million.
Robert De Niro and Grace Hightower were first married in 1997, divorced in 1999, then reunited and renewed their vows in 2004, before the actor finally filed for divorce three years ago.
Hearing arguments from both sides at the hearing, Judge Matthew Cooper of the Manhattan Supreme Court tried to land the two sides. "It simply came to our notice then. For 99,9999% of people, all of this is unusually outrageous. I want the two sides to separate, I want Mrs Hightower and Mr De Niro to take separate paths. "Again, they will come out of all this richer than almost any man walking on Earth."
How the couple got divorced
One could say that Robert De Niro and his estranged wife are two enemies who have one thing in common: their excessive greed. However, a source involved in the dispute told the Daily Mail this week that things are much more complicated.
Robert De Niro, he says, is not so traditional. The actor, who is the father of six children by three different women, was generous to those who depended on him and just wanted to "buy peace" with his ex-wife. "They are playing with Bob's generosity," the source said of the ongoing court battle.
In fact, he describes Hightower as "a little tiger", but also as "superficial and irrational", adding: "Differences in marriage are usually more about anger than money. "She feels despised and has never been successful on her own."
Grace Hightower is half African American and half Indiana Blackfoot. She grew up with seven brothers and two sisters near the town of Kilmichael, in a slum in the Far South.
She said she did odd jobs to support the family's meager finances - working in a local store and post office - before becoming a TWA flight attendant in her 20s.
Then he started a financial career, but it did not work because, he said, he was very careful with investing other people's money. So he went to work in restaurants and moved to London, where he met Robert De Niro.
The famous actress, who according to biographers is a woman, has a tendency for impressive, black women, such as Grace Hightower.
When they met, he was still married to Diane Abbott, but their 12-year marriage, from which they had two children, ended in 1988.
It is said that at the beginning of his relationship with Hightower, Robert De Niro had cheated on her with Betty Midler, Whitney Houston, Uma Thurman, and even an English porn star.
In 1991, the Oscar-winning actor had twin sons with his longtime partner, model Tookie Smith. The children were born to a surrogate mother and were conceived by IVF.
Their wedding and the warnings of Robert De Niro's friends
By 1996, Hightower had won the heart of Robert De Niro, and a year later, with a $ 100.000 engagement ring, she married the Raging Bull star.
Their wedding was glamorous. His colleagues and good friends Harvey Caitella and Joe Pesci attended, while at the reception the guests enjoyed a five-course meal at an expensive restaurant outside New York.
Some of his friends were not there, having already had a fight with his new bride. In fact, some of them had even warned him not to marry her.
A year after their marriage, the couple had a son, Eliot. The problems did not take long to appear and Robert De Niro filed for divorce in 1999.
Serious accusations from both sides
When, two years later, Robert De Niro went to court for Eliot's custody, that was when the "knives came out". Claiming concern for Elliot's safety, Robert De Niro said Hightower had a violent temperament, and had once broken his ribs, in a scene of jealousy on a yacht, after accusing him of having an affair with another woman.
She claimed that the actor had problems with alcohol and drugs that made him an inappropriate parent. His lawyer denied the allegations.
And while one would think that their marriage would end after these serious accusations from both parties, this did not happen. The divorce was never finalized and the couple renewed their vows in 2004 at Robert De Niro Farm in New York, attended by a number of celebrities, including Martin Scorsese, Meryl Streep and Ben Stiller.
Grace Hightower has been involved in modeling for a while, had a few small roles as an actress and even sang a song for the soundtrack of the Oscar-winning film "Precious", directed by Lee Daniels. He also founded a company that sold coffee from Rwanda.
Although he generally avoids being in the public eye, in 2004 he came to the fore when two former maids and a former driver testified that he intimidated and abused them, that he was capricious and even refused to give in to one of them. three days leave to attend her father's funeral. The couple's lawyers reacted by saying that all three of them had the ultimate goal of all this and their complaints were rejected.
At the time, a source familiar with the couple told the New York Post that Hightower "could be annoying," but the allegations were exaggerated. "She is behaving like a tough, proud black woman and people have the impression that she is a bitch," the source said.
In 2011, they announced that they had a second child, Ellen Grace, who was later revealed to have been born to a surrogate mother. In an interview two years later, Hightower was asked about the secret of a successful marriage. "I would say reciprocal concessions and stick to your views, because then you keep the respect with which you started," he said.
The couple divorced again in 2018, returning to court for another grueling and extremely costly divorce battle that - three years later - has not yet been resolved.
Robert De Niro, his estranged wife, is claiming half of his fortune, which he estimates at $ 500 million. That's a lot more than what a prenuptial agreement she signed in 2004 offered her. According to her, she is given a house worth ,4,7 393.000 million, 15 1 in cash and - provided Robert De Niro makes at least $ XNUMX million a year - an annual income of $ XNUMX million per year.
However, Heartower insisted that Robert De Niro had hidden the extent of his wealth during their marriage and claimed that he was entitled to 35 business ventures and 38 films he has made since 2004. In addition, he claimed 50% of his profits. from its stake in the Tribeca Grill and Greenwich Hotel in New York and the Canal production company.
The opposing camps are convinced that the couple will not find them again as they once did in the past, and so they will continue for a long time than they seem to cross their swords.
via: e-Daily