Action star Vin Diesel has been accused of sexually assaulting his assistant in an Atlanta hotel room over a decade ago, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday.

The suit is the latest claim to be lodged with courts in California, which has extended the length of time in which legal action can be taken in cases of alleged sexual crimes.

Asta Jonasson said her first assignment after being hired by the “Fast and Furious” star’s company was to travel to Atlanta in September 2010 during the filming of “Fast Five.”

There, she was tasked with helping Diesel leave a hotel in the early morning hours after entertaining multiple women in a suite, before paparazzi were alerted to his whereabouts.

“Alone in the hotel suite with him, Vin Diesel sexually assaulted Ms Jonasson. Vin Diesel forcibly grabbed Ms Jonasson, groped her breasts, and kissed her. Ms Jonasson struggled continually to break free of his grasp, while repeatedly saying no.

“Vin Diesel then escalated his assault,” the suit said, with the actor trying to pull down his assistant’s underwear.

The suit stated that Jonasson fled to a bathroom, where Diesel pursued her, and forced her to touch him. He then pinned her against a wall and masturbated.

The following day, Samantha Vincent, the actor’s sister and president of One Race, the entertainment company that employed Jonasson, allegedly called and fired her.

“The message was clear. Ms Jonasson was fired for courageously resisting Vin Diesel’s sexual assault, Vin Diesel would be protected, and his sexual assault covered up,” the suit said.

The civil suit seeks unspecified damages against Diesel, Vincent and their companies.

Representatives for Diesel did not immediately respond to AFP requests for comment.

Jonasson has waived the right to anonymity customarily granted to victims of alleged sex abuse.

The global #MeToo movement has seen powerful men in the world of entertainment punished for their abusive and predatory behavior, starting with bombshell allegations against industry titan Harvey Weinstein in 2017 that led to his imprisonment on multiple sex assault convictions.

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Actor Vin Diesel has been accused of sexual assault by a former assistant, who in a lawsuit alleged that the action star sexually battered her in 2010 during the shoot of the movie ‘Fast Five’. Asta Jonasson, in the lawsuit filed in a Los Angeles court also said that she was fired just hours after the assault.

The assault took place in an Atlanta hotel room while the pair were working on the movie “Fast Five”.

The suit is the latest claim to be lodged with courts in California, which has extended the length of time in which legal action can be taken in cases of alleged sexual crimes.

“Sexual harassment in the workplace will never stop if powerful men are protected from accountability. We hope her courageous decision to come forward helps create lasting change and empowers other survivors.” Jonasson’s lawyer Claire-Lise Kutlay said in a written statement.

Asta Jonasson said her first assignment after being hired by the “Fast and Furious” star’s company was to travel to Atlanta in September 2010 during the filming of “Fast Five.”

In the lawsuit, Jonasson alleged that Vin Diesel forcibly groped her breasts and kissed her after a night where he entertained multiple women in his hotel suite.

“Vin Diesel ignored Ms. Jonasson’s clear statements of non-consent to his sexual assaults,” the lawsuit reads.

The situation escalated when she fled to a bathroom where Diesel followed her and allegedly forced Jonasson to “grab his erect penis”. Despite her protests, he purportedly pinned her against a wall and masturbated, releasing her only after he had finished. He then left the room.

A few hours later, Samantha Vincent, the actor’s sister and president of One Race, the entertainment company that employed Jonasson, allegedly called and fired her.

“The message was clear. Ms Jonasson was fired for courageously resisting Vin Diesel’s sexual assault, Vin Diesel would be protected, and his sexual assault covered up,” the suit said.

Jonasson is one of many women to accuse prominent entertainment industry figures of sexual misconduct since the #MeToo movement began in 2017, in the aftermath of accusations against now-imprisoned movie producer Harvey Weinstein.

(With agency inputs)

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