A former assistant to Hollywood actor Vin Diesel has filed a lawsuit accusing him of sexual battery, alleging that in 2010, the action star subjected her to a traumatic incident in a hotel suite in Atlanta where he was filming Fast Five.
Asta Jonasson, the plaintiff, claims that during her employment in Atlanta, Diesel brought her to his suite at the St. Regis Hotel, where he allegedly forced her onto his bed. According to the lawsuit, Vin Diesel proceeded to grope her, attempt to remove her underwear, and then masturbated in front of her despite her pleas for him to stop.
The suit details that Jonasson, fearing for her safety, attempted to escape, but Vin Diesel allegedly pressed her against a wall, forcing her to touch him. The incident left Jonasson traumatized, prompting her to close her eyes and endure the assault until it concluded.
Later, according to the lawsuit, Samantha Vincent, Diesel’s sister and president of his company, called Jonasson and terminated her employment. The suit alleges that Jonasson believed her firing was a result of resisting Diesel’s advances and no longer being useful to him.
Bryan Freedman, Vin Diesel’s attorney, vehemently denied the allegations in a statement, stating,
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.
Jonasson filed the lawsuit under California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act, a law enacted in 2022 that provides a one-year window to file certain suits otherwise outside the statute of limitations. To qualify, the defendant must have engaged in an attempt to cover up at least one previous sexual assault allegation.
The suit also includes claims of gender discrimination, wrongful termination, retaliation, and negligent supervision. It alleges that a few days before the Diesel incident, Jonasson was propositioned by another supervisor at Vin Diesel’s company, One Race, adding further context to the broader claims of misconduct within the workplace.
