Robert De Niro’s former assistant has received a text calling her a ‘disgusting little beast’ – which her lawyer claims could have been sent by one of the star’s children.

Representing Graham Chase Robinson, Attorney Andrew Macurdy read the message aloud to Manhattan Federal Court Monday morning before jurors were brought in. 

He said: ‘The message read: “You disgusting little beast. You have nothing better to do with your pathetic life than destroy an 80 year-old man’s life…

‘Hopefully you and your family will suffer as you have made others suffer.”‘ 

Robinson, 41, was also branded a ‘scumbag’ in the abusive screed, which came a week into a sensational civil suit which has made headlines around the world.  

Graham Chase Robinson arrives at Manhattan Federal Court Monday. Before jurors were brought in, her lawyer told the court she’d received an abusive text shortly before the hearing began – and suggested it may have been sent by one of her former employer Robert De Niro’s children 

The lawyer speaking on behalf of Robinson, who is suing De Niro for gender discrimination, said the text had come from an unknown number. 

But he flagged an iPhone feature which shows a possible identity for an unknown sender – and said the suggested name was that of one of De Niro’s children. 

The suspected sender was not named. De Niro has seven children by four women. 

De Niro’s lawyer Richard Schoenstein said his team had ‘no idea’ where the text had come from.

He added: ‘Certainly we will instruct our clients not to contact the plaintiff.’ 

Judge Lewis J Limon didn’t take any further action in response to the text allegations. He said: ‘Earlier we received some emails which were very derogatory about Mr De Niro… unfortunately this case has attracted a lot of attention.’ 

The Taxi Driver star was not in court to hear that one of his offspring had been accused of abusing Robinson. DailyMail.com has contacted his rep for comment.

Monday’s shocking revelation came before the eight jurors hearing the civil case were seated to see Robinson’s cross-examination continue.

De Niro is pictured leaving court last Thursday. Robinson, his former executive assistant, has sued him for $12 million alleging sexual discrimination and retaliation. He denies those allegations and has counter-sued Robinson for $6 million

De Niro erupted in rage at Robinson on the stand last week, shrieking ‘Shame on you,’ despite denying he’d ever shouted at her 

She is suing De Niro for $12 million and claims he was a creepy boss who made her scratch his back and who would scream abuse at her.

De Niro denies the allegations and has counter-sued for $6 million for allegedly stealing five million air miles and for alleged breach of loyalty. 

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Last week De Niro denied claims he was an abusive boss, only to scream at Robinson across the court moments later, screeching: ‘Shame on you, Chase Robinson!’ 

The actor subsequently apologized. 

Robinson worked for De Niro’s movie company Canal Productions and acted as a fixer for the star.

She began working for Canal in 2008, having started out as an executive assistant on a salary of $75,000, but eventually rose to the role of vice president of production and finance, on a $300,000 salary at the time of her departure in April 2019. 

During Monday’s hearing the court was told of other perks enjoyed by Robinson, including $15,000 bonuses, lavish Christmas and birthday gifts.

Robinson had 23 days annual holiday and was also off when Canal’s New York office was closed, as well as paid sick leave.

De Niro’s lawyer Schoenstein showed the case’s eight jurors receipts detailing how Robinson had transferred 999,000 of the actor’s air miles to her own account on four separate occasions between January and March 2019.

De Niro is pictured in Manhattan November 3. Robinson’s case against him continues

She is said to have used those four million miles – as well as another million which have not been itemized – of travel to London, Glasgow, Spain, Los Angeles and New York, mainly in business class. 

Schoenstein put it to Robinson that she was only supposed to use the miles for work travel, but she answered ‘That is not correct.’

Robinson claimed the travel freebies were permitted ‘compensation’ among the verbally-agreed terms of her employment. 

On Friday, she broke down in tears while recalling the ‘creepy’ and ‘disgusting’ moment the Hollywood icon asked her to scratch his back.

Robinson says the request made her feel ‘physically uncomfortable’ and claims De Niro says he asked her to rub him because he preferred ‘the way you do it.’ 

De Niro has admitted asking Robinson to scratch his back ‘once or twice’ but insists the request was never made with ‘any disrespect.’ 

Robinson also detailed alleged verbal abuse, claiming De Niro had called her a ‘bitch’ two or three times and that he frequently berated her in a ‘hurtful’ and ‘demeaning’ way.

The actor was sufficiently outraged by the allegations to launch a countersuit.   

The case continues.