New York: Actor Vin Diesel has been accused of sexual assault by a former assistant, who in a lawsuit alleged that the action star sexually battered her in 2010 during the shoot of the movie ‘Fast Five’. Asta Jonasson, in the lawsuit filed in a Los Angeles court also said that she was fired just hours after the assault.
The assault took place in an Atlanta hotel room while the pair were working on the movie “Fast Five”.
The suit is the latest claim to be lodged with courts in California, which has extended the length of time in which legal action can be taken in cases of alleged sexual crimes.
“Sexual harassment in the workplace will never stop if powerful men are protected from accountability. We hope her courageous decision to come forward helps create lasting change and empowers other survivors.” Jonasson’s lawyer Claire-Lise Kutlay said in a written statement.
Asta Jonasson said her first assignment after being hired by the “Fast and Furious” star’s company was to travel to Atlanta in September 2010 during the filming of “Fast Five.”
In the lawsuit, Jonasson alleged that Vin Diesel forcibly groped her breasts and kissed her after a night where he entertained multiple women in his hotel suite.
“Vin Diesel ignored Ms. Jonasson’s clear statements of non-consent to his sexual assaults,” the lawsuit reads.
The situation escalated when she fled to a bathroom where Diesel followed her and allegedly forced Jonasson to “grab his erect penis”. Despite her protests, he purportedly pinned her against a wall and masturbated, releasing her only after he had finished. He then left the room.
A few hours later, Samantha Vincent, the actor’s sister and president of One Race, the entertainment company that employed Jonasson, allegedly called and fired her.
“The message was clear. Ms Jonasson was fired for courageously resisting Vin Diesel’s sexual assault, Vin Diesel would be protected, and his sexual assault covered up,” the suit said.
Jonasson is one of many women to accuse prominent entertainment industry figures of sexual misconduct since the #MeToo movement began in 2017, in the aftermath of accusations against now-imprisoned movie producer Harvey Weinstein.
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