‘Fast and Furious’ star Vin Diesel accused of sexual battery in lawsuit

Vin Diesel’s former assistant filed a lawsuit against him Thursday in Los Angeles accusing him of sexual battery in 2010.

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The former assistant, Asta Jonasson, said in the lawsuit that the incident took place just two weeks after she was hired, according to the New York Times. Jonasson was reportedly in Atlanta working as Diesel was filming “Fast Five,” Variety reported.

Normally alleged victims are not identified unless they come forward publicly.

The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, CNN reported.

The lawsuit claims that Diesel brought Jonasson back to his suite at the St. Regis Hotel when he allegedly forced her onto his bed. She asked him to stop and tried to leave but he started to grab her, Variety reported.

His attorney, Bryan Freedman said in a statement to Variety, “Let me be very clear: Vin Diesel categorically denies this claim in its entirety. This 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.”

Diesel’s sister, Samantha Vincent, was also named as a co-defendant, according to the Times. Vincent reportedly fired Jonasson hours after the alleged assault, The Associated Press reported. Diesel’s sister is the president of One Race Productions, which is also named in the suit.

The lawsuit also alleges wrongful termination and retaliation, according to the newspaper,

“For years, Ms. Jonasson remained silent,” the lawsuit said, according to the Times, “afraid to speak out against one of the world’s highest-grossing actors, afraid she would be ostracized from the industry which had a pattern of protecting powerful men and silencing survivors of sexual harassment and assault, and concerned that as a green card holder that speaking out could jeopardize her potential future citizenship.”

Diesel has been in over 60 movies and television shows, according to CNN. One of the projects he has been involved in is the “Fast and Furious” franchise. One of his biggest roles was in Steven Spielberg’s “Saving Private Ryan, the Times reported.

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