LOS ANGELES: Actor Vin Diesel has been cleared of sexual battery claims filed by former assistant Asta Jonasson, related to the filming of Fast 5. On November 19, the Los Angeles County Superior Court dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that California law does not apply extraterritorially to the alleged incident, which took place in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2010.
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The court stated that “California statutes are presumed not to have extraterritorial effect unless the Legislature expressly states otherwise,” effectively ending the case on legal grounds rather than addressing the merits of the allegations.
Jonasson’s attorney, Matthew Hale, told Deadline that the ruling did not determine the truth of the allegations and confirmed that Jonasson intends to appeal. Diesel’s attorney, Freedman, said the actor is grateful the court has “put an end to this meritless lawsuit” and expressed satisfaction that the matter has been resolved.
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Diesel, 58, has consistently denied the claims over the past two years. According to the complaint, Jonasson alleged that Diesel “forced himself on her” at Atlanta’s St. Regis hotel during the production of Fast 5 in 2010.