American actor Vin Diesel is accused of sexual assault by a former assistant, according to a civil complaint filed Thursday, December 21 before the California courts. The Fast and Furious star strongly denies the accusations.
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 Fast and Furious 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 hours 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. Madame Jonasson struggled to free herself from his grip, while telling him no,” the complaint states, indicating 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 finally says she was fired by telephone the day after the events by Samantha Vincent, the actor’s sister and director of the company which employed him.
“Vin Diesel categorically denies these allegations in their entirety,” said the actor’s lawyer Bryan Freedman in a statement cited by the trade magazine Variety. “This is the first time he has heard of this complaint which dates back 13 years and is brought by a person who only worked 9 days” for the actor, added his counsel.
Asta Jonasson, who says he found the courage to testify thanks to the freedom of speech movement
