“Fast and Furious” star Vin Diesel was accused by his former assistant of sexual abuse while she worked for him in 2010.
Astra Jonasson filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles on Thursday, alleging that Vin Diesel forced himself on her in an Atlanta hotel suite. The suit alleges she tried to escape the room after being forced to sit in Diesel’s bed, but the actor walked towards her then groped her breasts and kissed her On the chest.
Vin Diesel allegedly tried to pull down her underwear, causing her to scream as she ran to the bathroom next door. He eventually forced her to touch his erect penis and began masturbating, the suit states.
The prosecution claims that Mme Jonasson closed her eyes for fear of angering Vin Diesel even more and she wanted the assault to end.
Mme Jonasson was fired hours later by Diesel’s sister, Samantha Vincent, who is also president of One Race Productions.
The prosecution stated that Mme Jonasson felt like a “piece of trash” and that his self-esteem was “demolished.”
“It was clear to her that she was fired because she was no longer useful – Vin Diesel had used her to gratify his sexual desires and she had resisted his sexual assaults,” the suit claims.
Mme Jonasson is suing Vin Diesel and his company for creating a hostile work environment, negligent supervision and wrongful termination, among other claims.
Representatives for Diesel did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
M’s lawyerme Jonasson’s Claire-Lise Kutlay said in a statement that her client’s lawsuit seeks to hold Diesel and those who “enabled and covered up his sexual assault, accountable for their egregious actions.”
“Employers must protect and defend people when they report sexual assault or harassment,” said Ms.e Kutlay. We hope that the courageous decision of Mme Jonasson’s coming forward will help create lasting change and encourage other survivors. »
The Associated Press generally does not identify alleged victims of sexual assault unless they come forward publicly, as M.me Jonasson.
Vin Diesel has played Dominic Toretto since the first film in the franchise Fast and Dangerous in 2001. The films became domestic and international box office hits, with the last two films each grossing over $1 billion.
Earlier this year, the tenth film in the franchise, Fast Xstarring Vin Diesel, opened with $67.5 million in ticket sales.