US-actor Vin Diesel (56), star of the “Fast & Furious” series, has been sued by a former assistant. The woman filed the lawsuit alleging sexual assault and other offenses in a Los Angeles court on Thursday (local time). The actor's spokesperson team did not initially respond to a request from the German Press Agency. The portal “Deadline.com” linked the statement of claim.
The plaintiff describes an alleged incident in 2010 in a hotel in Atlanta (US state of Georgia) when “Fast Five” was being filmed. After a party, Diesel became aggressive and sexually harassed her. She defended herself, but was overwhelmed by the actor. A little later she received a notice of termination from Diesel's sister Samantha Vincent, head of the production company OneRace Productions.
“The message was clear,” the lawsuit said. Jonasson was fired “because she courageously defended herself against Vin Diesel’s sexual assault.” Vin Diesel should be “protected and his sexual assault covered up.”
The woman is also suing for, among other things, discrimination, infliction of emotional distress and wrongful termination. She is demanding compensation in an undisclosed amount.
Vin Diesel denies the allegations
Diesel's attorney, Bryan Freedman, said his client “categorically denies the allegations in their entirety.” There is evidence that “completely refutes” the claims, said the statement published by Variety magazine.
The #MeToo movement against sexual violence, particularly in the film industry, began in October 2017 with an expose in the New York Times against the powerful film producer Harvey Weinstein. As a result, allegations were made against numerous prominent filmmakers.
Diesel has been with model Paloma Jiménez (40) since 2007. The couple has two daughters and a son.
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