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‘Fast and Furious’ star Vin Diesel faces allegations of sexual battery from ex-assistant

The actor is yet to publicly say anything about the issue.

• December 22, 2023
Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel [Credit: Pulse Nigeria]

Mark Sinclair, popularly known as Vin Diesel, faces a lawsuit in Los Angeles as his former assistant accused him of sexual battery in an incident dating back to 2010.

The ‘Fast and Furious’ star allegedly assaulted his assistant while she was working for him during the filming of Fast Five.

According to BBC the assistant Asta Jonasson, claimed in the lawsuit that Diesel forcibly overpowered her in his hotel suite despite her clear verbal objections, and forced her to watch him engage in sexual activities.

She claimed that after she screamed and ran towards the nearby bathroom, the actor pinned her to a wall as he touched himself. 

The suit claimed that “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.”

The lawsuit claims that just a few hours after the incident, the actor’s sister, Samantha Vincent, who oversees his production company One Race Films, reached out to her and terminated her employment. 

She is filing a lawsuit against both the actor’s sister and his production company for wrongful termination, asserting that the company let her go within hours of the reported assault. 

Alongside the accusation of sexual battery, her legal action includes allegations of gender discrimination, unlawful retaliation, emotional distress, and wrongful termination.

Bryan Freedman, Diesel’s attorney, stated in writing to CNN on Thursday that Vin Diesel unequivocally denies the entire claim.

“This is the first he has ever heard about this more than 13 year old claim made by a purportedly 9 day employee,” he said.

The actor is yet to publicly say anything about the issue.

In a statement to BBC News, Claire-Lise Kutlay, Jonasson’s lawyer conveyed that their client aims to hold Vin Diesel, along with those who permitted and concealed his alleged sexual assault, accountable for what is described as horrifying actions.

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