The 73-year-old actor has heaped praise on his fellow Hollywood icon after she blasted the US President-elect Donald Trump at the annual awards bash, saying she delivered her remarks “beautifully”.
In a letter obtained by PEOPLE, De Niro wrote: “What you said was great. It needed to be said, and you said it beautifully.
“I have so much respect for you that you did it while the world was celebrating your achievements. I share your sentiments about punks and bullies. Enough is enough.”
Although the actress did not name the soon-to-be US President by name, she made it clear she was upset and frustrated by Trump’s election win.
In her speech, Meryl said: “An actor’s only job is to enter the lives of people who are different from us and let you feel what that feels like. And there were many, many, many powerful performances this year that did exactly that – breathtaking, passionate work.
“But there was one performance this year that stunned me. It, it sank its hooks in my heart. Not because it was good. It was – there was nothing good about it. But it was effective, and it did its job. It made its intended audience laugh and show their teeth.
“It was that moment when the person asking to sit in the most respected seat in our country imitated a disabled reporter, someone he outranked in privilege, power, and the capacity to fight back. It kind of broke my heart when I saw it. And I still can’t get it out of my head because it wasn’t in a movie. It was real life.”
De Niro is also an outspoken opponent of Trump and prior to the election, the actor said he would like to punch the billionaire businessman in the face.
He also described his fellow New Yorker as “blatantly stupid” and a “bulls**t artist”.