American actor Vin Diesel, star of the Fast and Furious film franchise, is accused of sexual assault by a former assistant, according to a civil complaint filed Thursday, December 21, before the Californian courts, which extended the deadlines for statute of limitations for sexual crimes.
The facts in question date back to 2010 and allegedly took place in a hotel room in Atlanta, in the southeast of the United States, during the filming of the fifth episode of the successful saga. The plaintiff, Asta Jonasson, who had just been hired by the film crew, had been sent to help the actor leave the hotel in the early morning while avoiding the paparazzi.
“While she was alone in the hotel suite with him, Vin Diesel sexually assaulted her, groping her breasts and kissing her. Ms. Jonasson struggled to free herself from his grip, while repeatedly telling him “no,” the complaint states, adding that the actor then tried to remove her underwear.
According to the document, the complainant – who declined to remain anonymous – then fled into the bathroom, pursued by Vin Diesel, whose real name is Mark Sinclair Vincent. The actor then forced her to touch him, before pinning her against a wall and masturbating in front of her. The complainant says she was fired by telephone the day after the incident by Samantha Vincent, the actor’s sister and director of the company that employed him.
The lawyer “categorically denies”
Asta Jonasson, who says he found the courage to testify thanks to the freedom of speech movement
“It’s clear to [Asta Jonasson] that she was fired because she was no longer useful. Vin Diesel used her to satisfy his sexual desires, and she resisted his sexual assaults,” the complaint alleges.
“Let me be very clear: Vin Diesel categorically denies this assertion in its entirety,” attorney Bryan Freedman said in a statement reported by Variety. “This is the first time he has heard of this thirteen-year-old complaint made by an alleged nine-day employee. There is clear evidence that completely refutes these wild claims. »