Vin Diesel’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, tellsPeoplethat theFast & Furiousactor “categorically denies” having allegedly committed sexual battery against his former assistant, Asta Jonasson. Freedman said in the statement:
“Let me be very clear: Vin Diesel categorically denies this claim in its entirety. This is the first he has ever heard about this more than 13-year-old claim made by a purportedly nine-day employee. There is clear evidence which completely refutes these outlandish allegations.”
Vin Dieselwas accused of committing sexual battery against his former assistant, Asta Jonasson. In a lawsuit obtained byVanity Fair, Diesel allegedly committed sexual battery against Jonasson during the shooting ofFast Five(2011), which was 13 years ago in September of 2010. Jonasson was tasked with organizing and going to parties with Diesel as a part of her job. And according to the lawsuit, Jonasson was asked to wait in the actor’s suite at the St. Regis, while Diesel “entertained hostesses.” After the hostesses left the room on that night in September of 2010, that’s when Diesel allegedly acted against Jonasson. The lawsuit claims:
[Diesel] grabbed Ms. Jonasson’s wrists, one with each of his hands, and pulled her onto the bed.
According to the lawsuit, Jonasson managed to free herself after asking Diesel to stop. Jonasson then waited by the entryway hoping Diesel would leave. But the actor allegedly forced himself on Jonasson and started “to grope her breasts and kiss her chest.” The lawsuit also claims:
“Ms. Jonasson was afraid to more forcibly refuse her supervisor, knowing that getting him out of that room was both crucial to her personal safety and job security. But this hope died when Vin Diesel dropped to his knees, pushed Ms. Jonasson’s dress up toward her waist, and molested her body, running his hands over Ms. Jonasson’s upper legs, including her inner thighs.”
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The Vin Diesel Lawsuit
The star of theFast and Furiousfranchise, Vin Diesel, allegedly didn’t stop there, according to the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles and obtained by Vanity Fair. Diesel proceeded to try and pull down Asta Jonasson’s panties, but his assistant managed to escape: “[she] screamed and ran down the hallway toward the bathroom.” Unfortunately, Diesel caught up with her and forced Jonasson up against the wall — pinning her there! Jonasson continued to scream and try to resist his unwanted advances.
Diesel then allegedly forced Jonasson to touch his erection with one of her hands! Jonasson continued to “verbally” refuse Diesel’s unwanted, sexual behavior, but to no avail. Diesel then began masturbating, while the “terrified” assistant was helpless to stop him. The lawsuit claims:
Ms. Jonasson closed her eyes, trying to dissociate from the sexual assault and avoid angering him.
What happened next wasn’t revealed in the Vanity Fair report, but after several hours had passed, Jonasson claims Diesel’s sister, Samantha Vincent, and the president ofOne Race Films, which was founded by Mr. Dieselback in 1995, called and fired her. Jonasson, who was a recent college graduate from an undisclosed LA film school, had been working “less than two weeks” when she was abruptly terminated. The lawsuit claims:
“It was clear to her that she was being fired because she was no longer useful — Vin Diesel had used her to fulfill his sexual desires, and she had resisted his sexual assaults […] Jonasson’s esteem was demolished, and she questioned her own skills and whether a successful career would require her to trade her body for advancement.”
According to the lawsuit, Diesel allegedly tried to engage Jonasson sexually while in his suite at the St. Regis just days before the aforementioned incident. Jonasson was told to go to the hotel room where she found Diesel removing his shirt. While the actor was in the bed, he told Jonasson to “come here.” Without any hesitation, Diesel’s assistant “immediately” left the suite.
In the lawsuit, Diesel not only faces sexual battery, but “discrimination on the basis of sex/gender, intentional infliction of emotional distress, hostile work environment, wrongful termination, and retaliation.” Plus, the lawsuit claims that Diesel “and his production” tried to cover up the situation. The lawsuit also claims:
[Jonasson] has suffered and continues to suffer humiliation, emotional distress, and mental and physical pain and anguish.
The lawsuit additionally claims that the reason, or at least one of them, that Jonasson didn’t come forward sooner — remember, the alleged assault took place back in 2010 — was because she signed a nondisclosure agreement when the former assistant was hired by One Race Films, aka One Race Productions. The lawsuit claims that Jonasson was able to take action now in large part thanks to the Speak Out Act, “which prevents the enforcement of nondisclosure agreements in instances of sexual assault and harassment, and California’s AB2777.”
Additionally, it “temporarily waives statutes of limitations for sexual abuse allegations occurring in 2009 or later.”
