American actor Vin Diesel has been cleared of a sexual battery lawsuit filed by his former assistant, Asta Jonasson, after a Los Angeles court dismissed the case based on a legal technicality related to jurisdiction.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Daniel M. Crowley issued a 13-page summary judgment ruling on Wednesday, focusing on the location of the alleged incident rather than the merits of the claim.
The Judge ruled that since the alleged sexual assault “took place in Atlanta, Georgia” in 2010 during the production of Fast Five, the case failed as a matter of law. Judge Crowley reasoned that California statutes are generally presumed not to have “extraterritorial effect” unless expressly stated by the Legislature.
Jonasson’s attorney, Matthew Hale, stated that the court “did not decide anything about the truth of Ms. Asta Jonasson’s allegations.” Hale respectfully disagreed with the ruling based on a legal technicality and confirmed that Ms. Jonasson intends to appeal the decision.
In her 2023 filing, Jonasson alleged that Diesel “forced himself on her” in his suite at Atlanta’s St. Regis hotel. She claimed he forcibly grabbed her, groped her, and attempted to remove her clothing. She alleged she was fired hours later by Diesel’s sister and president of One Race Films, Samantha Vincent.
Diesel’s attorney, Freedman, stated they were “grateful that the court put an end to this meritless lawsuit” and were “pleased that this matter has been resolved entirely.”
The defense has consistently and categorically denied the claim since the filing, calling it a “meritless lawsuit” and questioning the timing of the claim made by a “purportedly nine-day employee.”
