Robert De Niro has stormed out of an interview with Radio Times after claiming there was “negative inference” in the questions.

The Oscar-winning star of Raging Bull was promoting new comedy The Intern when he objected to a line of questioning from interviewer Emma Brockes. The star, who Brockes has described as “depressed”, was unhappy with a mention of Tribeca being overrun by bankers and a question about how he avoids falling into “autopilot” mode on set.

According to Brockes, he then asked her to pause the recorder and got out of his chair, “pacing madly” before cutting the interview short because of the “negative inference” of what she had said.

“What, about the bankers?!” she asked. De Niro responded: “All the way through. Negative inference.” Brockes then asked where else he was referring to and he replied: “The whole way through and I’m not doing it. I’m not doing it, darling.”

Brockes claims he then stuck his head out of the door to find someone to take him out of the interview. She asked him where else she was being negative.

“The question about being on autopilot – negative inference,” he said. She replied: “Wait, but I asked that question to establish how it is you manage not to be on autopilot.” He repeated: “There’s a negative inference.”

She then said: “I have to say, now that you’re going on about it, it makes me think you were on autopilot and you’re super-sensitive about it.” He repeated: “I’m not doing this darling.”

Brockes told the Independent that his “combination of hostility and condescension” irritated her and she “lost her cool”, but she does have sympathy for him for having to do such interviews.

De Niro’s latest film The Intern sees him starring opposite Anne Hathaway as an intern for her fashion website. It’s already receiving negative reviews with the Hollywood Reporter calling it a “middling star vehicle”.

(The Guardian)