Sexual battery claims filed two years ago against Vin Diesel were dismissed Wednesday by a Los Angeles judge who ruled that the accusations, brought by a former assistant, belonged in Georgia where she said the “Fast Five” star forcibly assaulted her in a hotel room in 2010.
The summary judgment obtained by TheWrap effectively puts the matter to rest, though a lawyer for Asta Jonasson says they intend to appeal Judge Daniel Crowley’s ruling on venue.
“We are grateful that the court put an end to this meritless lawsuit,” Diesel’s attorney Bryan Freedman wrote in a statement to TheWrap. “We are pleased that this matter has been resolved entirely.”
Crowley wrote that because the allegations state that the alleged attack took place at the St. Regis Hotel in Atlanta, where “Fast Five” was filmed, a Georgia court was the only appropriate venue. He did not rule on the merits of the civil case.
Jonasson claimed that Diesel forced her onto a bed, groped her and masturbated despite her protest – then fired her the next day – in 2010, which is now beyond Georgia’s statute of limitations. Diesel has steadfastly denied the claims, which Jonasson’s lawyers brought to California under a temporary extension involving cases where the petitioner believes the abuse was covered up by an employer or institution.
Jonasson’s attorney had argued that the case belonged in California, where she was hired and both she and Diesel lived. Crowley disagreed, calling the matter “extraterritorial conduct.”
Jonasson originally sued Diesel and his company in Los Angeles for a hostile work environment, negligent supervision and wrongful termination. Crowley dismissed those claims in June, citing expired limitations.
