Vin Diesel sued by former assistant for sexual battery

Vin Diesel has been sued by a former assistant for sexual battery, as well as discrimination, maintaining a hostile workplace, and wrongful termination.

Vin Diesel, known for his work in the Fast & Furious franchise and as the voice of Groot in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy films, has been accused of sexual battery. In a report posted by Vanity Fair, Diesel is alleged to have assaulted a former assistant while working on 2010’s Fast Five.

The lawsuit states that the victim, Asta Jonasson, was asked to wait for Diesel in his suite while he was out with hostesses he had brought back from a club. The lawsuit alleges that upon his return to the hotel room, Diesel “grabbed Ms. Jonasson’s wrists, one with each of his hands, and pulled her onto the bed.”

The allegations state that Jonasson asked Diesel to stop and attempted to leave, escaping him to wait by the door. Instead of allowing her to leave, he began to grope and kiss her, ignoring her as she asked him to stop.

Vin Diesel accused of committing sexual battery

“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,” the suit claims. “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.”

According to the suit, Diesel proceeded to undress the victim and assault her while she attempted to dissociate from the attack. Shortly after the assault, she was fired by Samantha Vincent, the sister of Diesel and president of One Race, the production company for which the victim worked.

“It was clear to her that she was being fired because she was no longer useful,” the lawsuit claims. “Vin Diesel had used her to fulfill his sexual desires and she had resisted his sexual assaults.”

The lawsuit also includes a slew of additional accusations, including sexual discrimination, emotional distress, hostile work environment, and wrongful termination.

The lawsuit is the latest to be filed under California’s AB2777, which temporarily waives the statute of limitations for cases involving sexual abuse. It was passed in the wake of the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements, allowing for victims to come forward long after the typical statue of limitations had expired.

As of this writing, Diesel has not made a statement about the accusations, nor has Vincent or One Race. However, we’ll be sure to keep you updated if such a statement is released.

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