Dec. 22 (UPI) — Actor Vin Diesel of the Fast & Furious movie franchise has been accused of sexual battery by a former assistant who says he abused her in an Atlanta hotel room in 2010.
The civil lawsuit was filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court under a California law that allows victims to file complaints against those they say sexually abused them, even if the claim exceeds the statute of limitations.
According to the court document, Asta Jonasson accuses Diesel of sexually assaulting her during the filming of Fast Five, the fifth installment in the Fast & Furious franchise, and within two weeks of her starting to work for him.
Jonasson states in the court document that Diesel grabbed her breasts and forcibly kissed her despite her protestations, and that as she attempted to flee to a nearby bathroom over his attempt to lift up her skirt and remove her underwear, the actor “pinned her against the wall with his body, and grabbed Ms. Jonasson’s hand and placed it on his erect penis.”
The court document continues that hours after the incident, Jonasson received a call from Samantha Vincent, Diesel’s sister and an executive at his production company One Race Productions — both of which are listed as defendants in the case — who said her employment was no longer needed.
Jonasson is also suing them for wrongful termination.
“Ms. Jonasson’s lawsuit seeks to hold Vin Diesel accountable for his sexual assaults, and her former employer accountable for its unlawful termination of her employment and cover up of the sexual assaults,” Claire-Lise Kutlay, Jonasson’s attorney, told CBS News in a statement.
“No one is too famous or powerful to evade justice.”
Diesel has denied the accusations.
“Vin Diesel categorically denies this claim in its entirety,” Byran Freedman, Diesel’s attorney, told CNN in a statement. “This is the first he has ever head about this more than 13-year-old claim made by a purportedly nine-day employee.”