LOS ANGELES (US): ‘Fast and Furious’ franchise star Vin Diesel has been accused of sexual assault by a former assistant. The Hollywood actor allegedly sexually assaulted Asta Jonasson in 2010 when she was working on the ‘Fast Five’ set in Atlanta, according to a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles on Thursday, reported CNN.
In a civil suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Diesel’s former assistant, Asta Jonasson, alleged he forced himself on her in a hotel suite in Atlanta in 2010.
According to CNN, the complaint states Diesel ignored Jonasson’s “clear statements of non-consent,” and after she “screamed and ran towards the nearby bathroom,” he “pinned her against the wall with his body.”
However, Vin Diesel “categorically denies this claim in its entirety,” said his attorney Bryan Freedman in a statement to CNN later on Friday. “This is the first he has ever heard about this more than 13 year old claim made by a purportedly 9 day employee.”
Jonasson is suing Diesel, along with his company One Race Productions, and Diesel’s sister Samantha Vincent for sexual battery, creating a hostile work environment, negligent supervision, and wrongful termination, among her other claims.
According to CNN, Jonasson claims that Samantha Vincent, the president of Diesel’s company One Race at the time, called her “mere hours” after the alleged assault and “terminated Ms. Jonasson’s employment.” The victim is seeking an imposition of a civil penalty of USD 10,000 for each violation, plus unspecified punitive damages, according to the suit.
“No one is too famous or powerful to evade justice,” Claire-Lise Kutlay of Greenberg Gross LLP, attorney for Jonasson, wrote in a statement shared with CNN. “We hope her courageous decision to come forward helps create lasting change and empowers other survivors.”
Diesel has appeared in more than 60 TV and film titles. He is also among the producers of the global hit franchise of “Fast & Furious” films. He has several upcoming projects in the works, including ‘Fast X: Part 2’, reported CNN. (ANI)