A Los Angeles judge has dismissed a sexual battery lawsuit brought against Vin Diesel by his former assistant, Asta Jonasson, ending the remaining legal claims against the actor.
Jonasson alleged in her 2023 lawsuit that Diesel assaulted her in 2010 while filming Fast Five in Atlanta, claiming he forced her onto a bed, groped her, pinned her to a wall, and masturbated in front of her.
However, Judge Daniel M. Crowley issued a summary judgment dismissing all remaining claims, ruling that California law does not apply to the alleged incident because it occurred in Georgia. He noted it was “undisputed that the alleged sexual assault took place in Atlanta, Georgia,” and that the extraterritorial application of California statutes fails under the law.
Jonasson’s attorney, Matthew T. Hale, emphasised that the court did not rule on the merits of her allegations. “The Court did not decide anything about the truth of Ms. Jonasson’s allegations. The ruling was based on a legal technicality … Ms. Jonasson intends to appeal.”
In response, Diesel’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, said: “We are grateful that the court put an end to this meritless lawsuit. We are pleased that this matter has been resolved entirely.”
The case had already seen an earlier decision this year where four of Jonasson’s ten claims were struck out due to the statute of limitations.
While this ruling marks a legal victory for Diesel, Jonasson’s appeal means that the matter may continue in the courts.
