Housekeeper Targeted De Niro's Wife Because She Was Mean

The housekeeper charged with stealing item's from Robert De Niro's New York home deliberately targeted his wife, actress Grace Hightower, because she was so mean to her.

Polish immigrant Lucyna Turyk-wawrynowicz, 35, has been charged with grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, forgery and coercion following her arrest in June (05).

She is accused of stealing an array of expensive items from her celebrity employees, including a $1,000 (GBP550) suede coat from MURPHY BROWN star Candice Bergen and a $95,000 (GBP52,700) pair of diamond earrings from Hightower - which were later found in Turyk-Wawrynowicz's apartment.

In her defence, the housekeeper said in police interviews that she would never have stolen from Hightower had she been more polite - adding that she didn't rob Italian actress Isabella Rossellini because she always treated her with respect.

She said, "If Mr De Niro knew how badly she treats her kids, he would leave her.

"I didn't steal from Isabella Rossellini because she treated me well.

"I only stole from people who didn't treat me with respect."