Actor Vin Diesel has been served a lawsuit from his former personal assistant, Asta Jonasson, accusing him of sexual assault during the filming of Fast Five in 2010.
Vin Diesel, whose real name is Mark Sinclair, denies the claim entirely, according to his lawyer.
The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles, alleges that the incident occurred at Atlanta’s St Regis hotel, where Jonasson claims Diesel forcibly groped her and performed a sex act on himself after overpowering her in his hotel suite.
Following the alleged assault, Jonasson asserts she was terminated from Diesel’s company, One Race Films, by his sister Samantha Vincent, mere hours after the incident occurred.
Jonasson is suing both Vin Diesel and his sister, Samantha Vincent, as well as his production company, for wrongful termination and the alleged sexual battery. As of now, there’s been no immediate response from Samantha Vincent regarding the lawsuit.
“It was clear to her that she was being fired because she was no longer useful – Vin Diesel had used her to fulfil his sexual desires,” the suit alleges.
It adds: “Ms Jonasson felt helpless, her self esteem was demolished, and she questioned her own skills and whether a successful career would require her to trade her body for advancement.”
The ex-assistant also alleges that another company executive made advances towards her in the same hotel a few days prior to the incident involving Mr. Sinclair.
The lawsuit goes beyond sexual battery, encompassing accusations of gender discrimination, illegal retaliation, emotional distress, and wrongful termination.
In response, Bryan Freedman, representing Mr. Sinclair, provided a written statement on Thursday, affirming that “Vin Diesel vehemently denies all aspects of this claim.”
“This is the first he has ever heard about this more than 13 year old claim made by a purportedly 9 day employee.”
A lawyer for Ms Jonasson said in a statement that her client “seeks to hold Vin Diesel and those who allowed and covered up his sexual assault accountable for their egregious actions”.
“We hope her courageous decision to come forward helps create lasting change and empowers other survivors,” said lawyer Claire-Lise Kutlay.
