Fast & Furious star Vin Diesel Assault Lawsuit Unexpectedly Dismissed on a Technicality

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A California judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Asta Jonasson, a former personal assistant, against Diesel. Judge Daniel M. Crowley ruled that the claims – which included sexual battery, retaliation, and wrongful termination – don’t fall under California’s legal jurisdiction, agreeing with Diesel’s lawyers that the case can’t proceed in a California court. The lawsuit, originally filed two years ago, has now been fully dismissed.

In a 2023 lawsuit, Jonasson alleges that while working as an event coordinator for Vin Diesel in Atlanta, Georgia, he subjected her to sexual assault. She claims he instructed her to create alibis if photographed with another woman and to stay close to him at all times. According to the lawsuit, after a party, Diesel forcibly grabbed her, groped her breasts, and kissed her. She further alleges he then dropped to his knees, lifted her dress, groped her legs, and attempted to pull down her underwear. The suit describes an incident where Diesel pinned her against a wall, and that she was fired the following day after rejecting his advances.

Judge Crowley explained in a detailed statement that because the events in question took place in Georgia, the case couldn’t be properly handled in California. He then wrote:

The plaintiff is incorrectly attempting to use California law to address actions that happened in Georgia. California legal precedents state that its laws don’t apply to these claims. The new law doesn’t specify where it’s meant to be applied and doesn’t indicate it should cover actions outside of California.

During the November 4th hearing, Jonasson’s attorneys emphasized her strong ties to California, similar to those of Diesel. They pointed out that the company which employed Jonasson is located in California.

According to her lawyer, the woman intended to go back to California and resume her job. They argued that California wants to protect its residents from being sent to other states temporarily for a portion of their job only to experience sexual assault, and then be brought back. The lawyer stated that this would be a misinterpretation of California law.

The judge had previously dismissed four of the ten claims in the lawsuit, because Jonasson waited longer than one year to file her complaint after the incident occurred.

Vin Diesel Is Set to Return to the ‘Fast & Furious’ Franchise


Universal Pictures

Although this specific issue has been dismissed, the underlying concerns remain unaddressed, and could still create problems for the actor as he finishes the Fast & Furious film series.

The latest installment in the Fast & Furious saga is facing significant delays. While Vin Diesel has been talking about it online, production on Fast 11 hasn’t really begun, and has been stalled for nearly two years. Despite an initial announcement in April 2023 that the film would be released this year, that’s no longer the case. Reports in October revealed a disagreement between Diesel and Universal Studios over the movie’s budget, with the studio looking to reduce costs after the high expenses of Fast X. It’s unclear when the franchise will conclude, but we’ll share updates as soon as we have them.

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2025-11-20 01:23