Former assistant Asta Jonasson has filed a lawsuit against Vin Diesel for sexual harassment at a hotel more than 10 years ago.
On December 21, Asta Jonasson, Vin Diesel ‘s former assistant , filed a lawsuit against the Fast & Furious star in a Los Angeles court.
In the lawsuit, Jonasson said the incident occurred at the St. Regis Hotel in Atlanta (Georgia, USA) in September 2010. At that time, Vin Diesel (now 56 years old) is said to have invited Jonasson to his room after returning from a nightclub with female attendants.
The former assistant alleges that after the other women left, Diesel grabbed her wrist and pulled her onto the bed. The plaintiff insists that she asked her former boss to stop, but he did not, and groped and kissed her breasts despite her pleas.
The lawyer wrote in the lawsuit that Jonasson did not dare to fight back too strongly because she wanted to protect her safety and keep her job.
“But that hope was dashed when Vin Diesel knelt down, pushed Ms. Jonasson’s skirt up to her waist, and molested her body, running his hands over her upper legs, including her inner thighs,” the lawsuit said.
The former assistant insisted that at one point she managed to escape from Diesel and head for the bathroom. However, the Bloodshot star allegedly pinned her against a wall, pulling her hand to his genitals while he masturbated.
In that situation, according to the lawyer, Jonasson could only close his eyes, try to separate himself from his former boss, and at the same time avoid angering him until everything was over.
“Ms. Jonasson then heard moans from Vin Diesel… Ms. Jonasson was frozen in shock and unable to move,” the lawsuit reads.
At the time, Jonasson was a recent graduate of the Los Angeles Film School program. She was hired to work for Diesel’s One Race company during production on Fast Five . She was tasked with organizing parties, accompanying the movie star to parties, and making sure she was close by when he was photographed with other women.
Jonasson said she was fired just hours after Diesel’s alleged sexual assault. The actor’s sister, Samantha Vincent, reportedly handled the termination and is also named in the lawsuit. Jonasson’s employment lasted a total of two weeks.
“She clearly felt that she was fired because she was no longer useful. Vin Diesel used her to satisfy his sexual desires and she fought back against his sexual assaults,” the lawyer stressed.
In addition to sexual battery, Jonasson also filed suit for gender discrimination, intentional infliction of emotional distress, hostile work environment, unlawful termination, and retaliation.
The former assistant alleged that she had to endure constant humiliation, mental anguish, and physical and psychological damage. She explained that the reason she did not speak out sooner was because she had signed a confidentiality agreement.
However, Jonasson was motivated by the #MeToo movement and the Speak Up Act — which prevents non-disclosure agreements from being enforced in cases of sexual assault and harassment — and wanted justice for the suffering she endured at the hands of Vin Diesel and One Race.
Responding to the lawsuit, Diesel’s attorney Bryan Freedman confirmed to Page Six : “Let me be clear: Vin Diesel denies the claims in their entirety. This is the first time he has heard of these 13-year-old allegations from an employee who allegedly worked for only nine days. The evidence clearly refutes these outrageous allegations.”