A lawsuit filed on Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court accuses actor Vin Diesel of sexually assaulting his former assistant, Asta Jonasson, in an Atlanta hotel in 2010. The legal action targets Diesel and One Race Productions Inc., one of his production companies, along with One Race Films Inc. and Diesel’s sister, who serves as the president of One Race.
The lawsuit alleges various violations, including creating a hostile work environment, retaliation, failure to prevent discrimination, wrongful termination, and sexual battery. Diesel’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, vehemently denied the claims, stating that Diesel categorically denies the allegations and highlighting clear evidence refuting the “outlandish” accusations.
The legal complaint portrays Jonasson as a dedicated TV and film professional with a decade of industry experience before being hired by One Race in September 2010 to work directly for Diesel. Despite her professional background, her responsibilities allegedly included organizing parties and accompanying Diesel at events in the absence of his long-time girlfriend, a role that, according to the lawsuit, aimed to provide cover if he was photographed with another woman.
The suit claims that in September 2010, after a night of drinking at a club, Diesel went to his hotel suite with several hostesses, a security guard, and Jonasson, who had not been drinking. According to the lawsuit, Diesel allegedly assaulted Jonasson in his hotel room, grabbing her wrists, pulling her onto the bed, forcibly hugging and kissing her, groping her breasts, attempting to remove her underwear, and engaging in explicit behavior.
The lawsuit contends that Jonasson, fearing for her safety and job security, did not forcefully refuse her supervisor. Hours after the incident, Diesel’s sister reportedly terminated Jonasson’s employment.
Claire-Lise Y. Kutlay, an attorney for Jonasson, expressed concern about the incident and the film industry’s history of allowing sexual harassment and assault by powerful individuals. The lawsuit seeks a jury trial and damages for Jonasson, who, despite signing a nondisclosure agreement (NDA), is empowered by the Me Too movement and protected by the Speak Out Act, which safeguards victims of sexual assault even if they have signed NDAs.
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The legal action alleges that this incident was not an isolated one, as Jonasson was reportedly sexualized a few days before the alleged assault by another supervisor at One Race who summoned her to his hotel room, took off his shirt, and invited her onto the bed. Appalled by the situation, Jonasson promptly left the room and the hotel.