Actor Vin Diesel, born Mark Sinclair of Fast and Furious, is accused in a lawsuit filed in the US on Thursday of sexually assaulting a former assistant in a hotel room in Atlanta more than ten years ago. He has “categorically” denied the allegation.
The lawsuit is the most recent claim to be filed with Californian courts, which has increased the amount of time that cases involving alleged sexual offenses can be pursued in court.
Asta Jonasson, the Fast and Furious star’s assistant, claims that her first task after joining the company was to fly to Atlanta in September 2010 to assist with the Fast Five filming.
She claims that before paparazzi were informed of Diesel’s whereabouts, she was tasked with assisting him in leaving a hotel in the wee hours of the morning after he had entertained several women in a suite. the suit alleges that,
“Alone in the hotel suite with him, Vin Diesel sexually assaulted Ms Jonasson,” the lawsuit alleges.
The following day, Samantha Vincent, the actor’s sister and president of One Race, the entertainment company that employed Jonasson, allegedly called and fired her.
“The message was clear. Ms Jonasson was fired for courageously resisting Vin Diesel’s sexual assault, Vin Diesel would be protected, and his sexual assault covered up,”.
The civil suit seeks unspecified damages against Diesel and their companies. Diesel’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, reportedly told reporters that his client “categorically denies this claim in its entirety” and that there is proof that “completely refutes” the accusations.
