UPDATE: Vin Diesel's attorney has issued a statement that says, "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 nine-day employee. There is clear evidence which completely refutes these outlandish allegations."
This isn’t a story we expected to see crop up right before the holidays, but Guardians of the Galaxy star Vin Diesel’s former assistant is suing the actor after alleging that he pinned her against a wall in a hotel suite and masturbated in front of her. The incident is said to have taken place in 2010.
Asta Jonasson claims she was working for the actor while he was shooting Fast Five. Its alleged that he brought the woman to his hotel suite and forced her onto his bed. The suit says she asked Diesel to stop but, when she moved to a nearby door, the actor groped her breasts and kissed her chest. It goes on to explain that he tried to pull down Jonasson’s underwear, prompting her to scream and run for the bathroom.
She also claims that Diesel, who plays Groot in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, then forced her against the wall, made her touch his erect penis, and proceeded to start masturbating.
The lawsuit later alleges that, shortly after the incident took place, Vin Diesel’s sister (who is also President of his company, One Race) called Jonasson up and fired her.
"It was clear to her that she was being fired because she was no longer useful - Vin Diesel had used her to fulfill his sexual desires and she had resisted his sexual assaults," the suit alleges. "Ms. Jonasson felt like she was a piece of trash to be discarded. Ms. Jonasson felt helpless, her self esteem was demolished, and she questioned her own skills and whether a successful career would require her to trade her body for advancement."
Diesel has not yet commented on the allegations and, when Variety reached out to his representatives, they didn't immediately respond to a request for comment (we'll let you know if and when that changes).
The sexual battery lawsuit has been filed under California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act, a 2022 law that created a one-year window to file lawsuits that would otherwise be outside the statute of limitations.
There are various other allegations in the suit, including gender discrimination, wrongful termination, retaliation and negligent supervision.
It’s currently unclear whether there is any merit to these claims. A similar suit was recently filed against Spider-Man: No Way Home star Jamie Foxx. His reps later repsonded to that by saying, "The alleged incident never happened. In 2020, this individual filed a nearly identical lawsuit in Brooklyn. That case was dismissed shortly thereafter. The claims are no more viable today than they were then."
We’ll keep you updated on this situation as it continues to develop.