Fast and Furious Actor Vin Diesel Accused of Sexual Harassment
Former assistance Asta Jonasson has filed a sexual harassment case against her former boss, American actor & film producer Vin Diesel in Los Angeles, on 21st December 2023.
American actor & film producer Vin Diesel has been accused of sexual harassment by his former assistant Asta Jonasson. Vin is one of the world's highest-grossing actors and he is best known for playing the role of ‘Dominic Toretto’ in Hollywood’s Fast & Furious franchise. Asta filed a lawsuit against Vin in Los Angeles, California on 21st December 2023 under California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act. According to the lawsuit, the alleged incident occurred in September 2010 during the filming of Fast Five. Asta was hired by Vin Diesel’s production house called One Race Films. She had been Vin’s new assistant for only 2 weeks when one evening, Vin’s security called Asta and said that Vin was not answering his phone & needed to leave his room at the St Regis hotel in Atlanta for the shoot. When Asta went to inform Vin the same, she saw that he was naked. He then pulled her onto his bed. Asta told him to stop and fought to escape his grasp. She eventually ran out of the bedroom towards the hotel room’s door. Vin immediately followed her & demanded her not open the door. He then forcibly hugged, groped her chest and forcibly kissed Asta. She pleaded with him to stop but Vin continued to “molest her body”. He dropped to his knees, pushed Asta’s dress up toward her waist, ran his hands all over her inner thighs and tried to remove her underwear. Asta then screamed, pushed him and ran towards the bathroom but Vin stood up and pinned her to the wall with his body. Despite Asta’s verbal refusal, Vin placed her hand on his erect penis and masturbated. Asta was terrified and therefore closed her eyes, trying to dissociate from the sexual assault and to avoid angering Vin. The lawsuit also states that Asta was fired hours later after the alleged assault by Vin’s sister, Samantha Vincent who is also the president of One Race Films.
The lawsuit filed by Asta claims that the message behind her termination was clear. She was fired for courageously resisting Vin Diesel’s sexual assault and it will also protect Vin by covering up his sexual assault act. The lawsuit also reveals that the Asta had been quiet about the incident for so many years because of the nondisclosure agreement signed by her with Vin’s production house One Race Films and is now able to file the claims because of the new ‘Speak Out Act’ and ‘California’s AB2777 Act’. Asta has also filed a case of discrimination on the bases of sex/gender, intentional infliction of emotional distress, hostile work environment, wrongful termination, and retaliation against One Race Films. Vin’s lawyer, Mr. Bryan Freedman officially stated “Let me be very clear: 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.” Because of this incident, an old video of Vin Diesel from 2017’s promotional tour for 'XXX: Return of Xander Cage' has gone viral online. The 1.45 minute clip shows Vin repeatedly telling how beautiful she is while she is trying to ask him questions about his movie. Vin interrupted the woman’s question and said "How am I supposed to just sit here looking at such beauty? Come on guys, she's so beautiful. I'm in love." Later in their conversation he also said "I love you. I love her man! She's so f*****g sexy."
