Robert De Niro is reportedly financially hurting because of the coronavirus pandemic.
During an emergency order hearing, it was revealed that his estranged wife Grace Hightower has asked for a raise in her credit limit on her monthly American Express card from $50,000 to $100,000 – however, the 76-year-old actor isn’t able to afford it.
Robert‘s lawyer says that the credit limit cut was because of a “huge financial hit as the restaurant chain Nobu and Greenwich Hotel, both of which he has stakes in, have been closed or partially closed for months with barely any business.”
Caroline Krauss explained to a judge that Nobu lost $3 million in April and another $1.87 million in May, and Robert has had to pay investors $500,000 on a capital call, which he borrowed money from his business partners to make, “because he doesn’t have the cash.”
“His accounts and business manager says that the best case for Mr. De Niro — if everything starts to turn around this year — he is going to be lucky if he makes $7.5 million this year,” she added.
Robert and Grace‘s prenuptial agreement says that as long as he’s making $15 million or more in income, and if his income declines, his payments to her proportionally do too.
However, Grace‘s lawyer, Kevin McDonough isn’t buying the excuse.
“Mr. De Niro has used the COVID pandemic, my words would be, to stick it to his wife financially,” he said. “I’m not a believer that a man who has an admitted worth of $500 million and makes $30 million a year, all of a sudden in March he needs to cut down [spousal support] by 50 percent and ban her from the house.”
The judge ultimately ruled that Robert should keep Grace’s credit card limit at $50,000 a month and pay her $75,000 so she can find a summer home for their two kids while he stays in his compound in upstate New York with his other children.
Grace and Robert announced they were separating back in 2018.
