Hollywood A-lister Robert De Niro has had everyone playing their tiny metaphorical violins after his lawyers claimed that he would be “lucky to earn $7.5 million” this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite the fact that $7.5 million would seem like an ample annual allowance for 99% of the population, De Niro’s legal team are adamant that the current crisis has caused a major blow to his financial prospects, forcing the 76-year-old to be more frugal than ever.

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Details of De Niro’s financial “strife” were revealed during a legal proceeding, where his estranged ex-wife Grace Hightower was seeking to have her monthly credit card allowance doubled from $50,000 to $100,000.

In an attempt to explain the situation, De Niro’s lawyer Caroline Krauss revealed that the actor had taken a substantial financial hit after Nobu, the restaurant chain in which he has a significant stake, lost around $5 million in April and May.

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As Krauss put it:

“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.

“These people, in spite of his robust earnings, have always spent more than he has earned, so this 76-year-old robust man couldn’t retire even if he wanted to because he can’t afford to keep up with his lifestyle expense.”

November 21, 2018 - New York, NY, USA - FILE PHOTO: Actor ROBERT DE NIRO has split from his wife, GRACE HIGHTOWER, after more than 20 years of marriage. PICTURED: NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 25: Grace Hightower, Robert De Niro attends the 43rd Chaplin Award Gala on April 25, 2016 in New York City. (Credit Image: © SMG via ZUMA Wire) [[imagecaption|| Credit: PA]]

According to the terms of De Niro and Hightower’s pre-nuptial agreement, De Niro is required to pay his wife a minimum of $1 million per year only if he has earned a minimum of $15 million. If his income drops, the payments decrease accordingly.

However, Hightower’s legal team have responded sceptically to claims that De Niro is under any sort of financial strain, instead asserting that he is using the pandemic as an excuse to “stick it to his wife financially.”

Robert De Niro says he will 'be lucky to make $7.5 million' this year due to Covid-19