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Vin Diesel has been accused of sexual assault in a lawsuit filed by his former assistant

Vin Diesel has been accused of sexual assault in a lawsuit filed by his former assistant

(CNN) – Fast & Furious actor Vin Diesel has been accused of sexual assault and creating a hostile work environment in a lawsuit filed by his former assistant Asta Jonasson.

The civil lawsuit, filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court and obtained by CNN, recounts a 2010 incident in which, according to Jonasson, Diesel forced her into a hotel suite and masturbated in front of her.

The complaint alleges that Diesel ignored Jonasson’s “clear statements of disagreement” and, after she “screamed and ran into the adjacent bathroom, he pinned her to the wall with his body.”

CNN has reached out to Diesel’s representatives for comment.

Jonasson sued Diesel, his company One Race Productions, and his sister, Samantha Vincent, for sexual assault, creating a hostile work environment, negligent supervision, and wrongful termination, among other charges.

The plaintiff alleges that Samantha Vincent, Diesel One Race’s president at the time, called her a “hobby” after the alleged assault and “terminated Ms. Johnson’s employment.”

Johnson is seeking a civil penalty of $10,000 for each violation, as well as unspecified punitive damages, according to the lawsuit.

“No one is too famous or powerful to evade justice,” Claire Liz Kotlay of Greenberg Gross LLP, Jonasson’s attorney, wrote in a statement shared with CNN. “We hope your brave decision to speak out will help create lasting change and empower other survivors.”

Diesel has participated in more than 60 film and television productions. He is also one of the producers of the globally successful film series “Fast & Furious”. He has several projects in the works, including “Fast X: Part 2.”

CNN’s Elizabeth Wagmeister contributed to this report.

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