Astra Jonasson filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles on Thursday alleging that Diesel forced himself onto her in a hotel suite in Atlanta
βFast and Furiousβ star Vin Diesel has been accused by his former assistant of π eπ₯ual battery while working for him in 2010.
Astra Jonasson filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles on Thursday alleging that Diesel forced himself onto her in a hotel suite in Atlanta. The lawsuit alleges she tried to escape from the room after being forced into Dieselβs bed, but the actor moved toward her then groped her breasts and kissed her chest.
DieselΒ attempted to pull down her underwear, causing her to scream as she ran toward the nearby bathroom. He eventually forced her to touch his erect penis and began to masturbate, the suit says.
The lawsuit said Jonasson closed her eyes in fear of angering Diesel any further and wished the assault would end.
Jonasson was fired hours later by Dieselβs sister Samantha Vincent, who is also the president of his One Race Productions.
The lawsuit stated that Jonasson felt like she was a βpiece of trashβ and her self esteem was βdemolished.β
βIt was clear to her that she was being fired because she was no longer useful β Vin Diesel had used her to fulfill his π eπ₯ual desires and she had resisted his π eπ₯ual assaults,β the suit alleges.
Jonasson is suing Diesel and his company for creating a hostile work environment, negligent supervision and wrongful termination, among her other claims.
βLet me be very clear: Vin Diesel categorically denies this claim in its entirety,β attorney Bryan Freedman said in a statement reported by the trade outlet Variety. βThis is the first he has ever heard about this more than 13-year-old claim made by a purportedly 9-day employee. There is clear evidence which completely refutes these outlandish allegations.β
Jonassonβs attorney, Claire-Lise Kutlay, said in a statement that her clientβs lawsuit seeks to hold Diesel and those who βallowed and covered up his π eπ₯ual assault, accountable for their egregious actions.β
βEmployers must protect and defend people when they speak up about π eπ₯ual assault and harassment,β Kutlay said. βWe hope Ms. Jonassonβs courageous decision to come forward helps create lasting change and empowers other survivors.β
The Associated Press generally does not identify alleged victims of π eπ₯ual assault unless they come forward publicly, as Jonasson has done.
Diesel has starred as Dominic Toretto since the βThe Fast and Furiousβ franchiseβs inaugural film in 2001. The movies have become big earners at the domestic and international box office, with the past two films each making more than $1 billion.
Earlier this year, the franchiseβs tenth installment, βFast X,β starring Diesel, opened with $67.5 million in ticket sales.