Emily Smith

Emily Smith

Celebrity News

De Niro makes crack at Scorsese at charity gala

Usually soft-spoken Robert De Niro took some friendly jabs at Sean Penn and Martin Scorsese at a Hollywood charity event Thursday night.

After being introduced by Penn at the Unite4:Humanity gala on the Sony Pictures lot, De Niro said of the customarily scruffy actor and activist, “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you putting a suit on.” De Niro added: “You’ve made a huge mistake giving me this. It would have made a lot more sense if I were here presenting it to Sean Penn: There’s no one I know who walks the philanthropic walk more than Sean.”

Then, introducing Scorsese, who picked up the show’s Creative Conscience Award, De Niro quipped, “ ‘Creative Conscience Award?’ Are you kidding me? Have you guys seen ‘The Wolf of Wall Street?’”

Others honored at the gala included Selena Gomez, Alicia Keys, Philomena Lee, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Demi Lovato and Bill Clinton, who received a standing ovation for his speech. “Try following a president,” quipped the next presenter, Steve Coogan.