Home : Celebrity Justice : De Niro to Gallery -- You Takin' My Paintings from Me?

Celebrity Justice
De Niro to Gallery -- You Takin' My Paintings from Me?

Posted Nov 19th 2007 12:25PM by TMZ Staff

Robert De NiroRobert De Niro is putting the heat on a Rome art gallery that he says took some of his father's paintings to settle a debt.

A rep for De Niro says in a statement to TMZ that he is taking the "legal action" to return 12 of the late Robert De Niro Sr.'s paintings to their rightful owner -- De Niro Jr., aka the Oscar-winning actor. They were allegedly given by Salander-O'Reilly Galleries in New York to Benucci S.r.l., a Rome gallery, to settle a $5 million debt -- without De Niro's knowledge.

Bobby D's dad was a leading abstract expressionist painter and friend of artist Willem de Kooning and author Tennessee Williams, among others. Benucci could not be reached for comment, and De Niro's rep didn't specify what form the legal action would take.

Tags: Robert DeNiro, RobertDeniro

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1. Now DeNiro still looks hot even though he's an oldie like Stallone.

Posted at 1:16PM on Nov 19th 2007 by AZ Mommy

2. first b$#&*

Posted at 3:15PM on Nov 19th 2007 by jdizzy

3. don't mess with deniro

Posted at 1:17PM on Nov 19th 2007 by kim

4. OJ DeNiro, but less stupid. This is how you do things-legally and not with guns!

Posted at 1:17PM on Nov 19th 2007 by confused

5. I smell a burning car!!!

Posted at 1:19PM on Nov 19th 2007 by It's Meeee

6. YO, BOBBY, your DaDDy`s paintings are ALL GARBAGE, just like your Daddy !

Posted at 7:18PM on Nov 21st 2007 by JOHNNY ANGEL

7. I would forgive a $5 million debt for the young Don Corleone. And then pray he forgets my name!

Posted at 3:37PM on Nov 19th 2007 by Joan Short

8. it's weird, reall weird, how no one outside of the movie business cares about deniro anymore. inside the business he, like spielberg, is a legend, like a god. outside the business he, like spielberg, is an old, out-of-touch man that people are really tired of hearing about. sad, really. oh, well....

Posted at 3:02AM on Nov 20th 2007 by jack in the green

9. Hold up. Jack in the green, you must be high. News flash: Cinematically speaking, the man is a legend and he is a god. He is the greatest actor living today. Who doesn't love DeNiro? What's your problem, dude? Sounds like Zach Effron is your favorite actor.

Posted at 3:22AM on Nov 20th 2007 by Tess

10. actually I can feel his pain on this, having something taken with no warning, during hurricane Katrina. my sailboat sank in its boat slip that I sub owned. it was owned by a condo complex first hand. when the apts were washed away, the land was sold, and the new owners. took it apon themselves to pull up my boat. without telling me, with no warning, nothing. I got a bill!!! for 2000 dollars for them lifting the boat, without my knowledge or permission. you cant do that. and when I told them that, and I refuse to pay them for a service I didnt ask for or know about they kept my boat as payment, as well as 8 others. we are going to court over this issue. his situation is bit differnt he KNOWS he owed the money. legally they still cant just take things without permission or knowledge, or without court orders that do not belong to you. yeah I know they took my boat, because I told them I was not paying them for a service I didnt ask for or even know about..they cant legally charge me for that, and they definatly cant take my boat as payment. they even tried selling the boats already. but we stopped that keeping them tied up in court

Posted at 3:01PM on Nov 20th 2007 by ldyrebeln

11. Tess,

You completely missed my point.

Good luck.

Posted at 4:58PM on Nov 20th 2007 by jack in the green

12. Jack;
You're right. I did miss your point. Sorry. So what was it?

I never knew his father was an artist. How interesting. Nice to have so much creativity in the family. I hope everything works out well for him.

Thanks for wishing me luck. Better luck to you.

Posted at 2:33AM on Nov 21st 2007 by Tess

13. i love deniro

Posted at 11:09PM on Dec 24th 2007 by Logo Designers