Vin Diesel’s Former Assistant Accuses Him of Sexual Battery in New Lawsuit
Vin Diesel, the action star known for starring in the Fast and the Furious franchise and voicing Groot in the MCU, is accused of sexual battery by his former assistant, Asta Jonasson, in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles on December 12. A report in Vanity Fair details the allegations, which include “discrimination on the bases of sex/gender, intentional infliction of emotional distress, hostile work environment, wrongful termination, and retaliation.” Diesel did not respond to requests for comment.
The alleged incident occurred in 2010 after Jonasson start working at One Race, Diesel’s production company, during the production of Fast Five. Jonasson claims that one night after a work event, Diesel forced himself onto her in a hotel room. She claims he grabbed her wrists and tried pulling her onto the bed. She moved to stand by the door, waiting for him to leave, when she claims he began to grope her. The actor got on his knees and “pushed Ms. Jonasson’s dress up toward her waist, and molested her body,” the lawsuit claims. Jonasson allegedly then screamed and ran into the hallway, at which point, Diesel pinned her to the wall, forced her to touch his erection, and masturbated.
Only hours after the alleged sexual assault, Jonasson claims she was fired by the president of One Race, Samantha Vincent, who is Diesel’s sister. The lawsuit names Diesel, Vincent, and One Race as defendants. At the time of her firing, Jonasson says she signed a nondisclosure agreement, but under the new Speak Out Act, signees of NDAs may come forward in cases of sexual assault and harassment.
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