Vin Diesel is breathing a little easier after a Los Angeles judge dismissed the remaining claims in a two-year-old sexual battery and retaliation lawsuit filed by his former assistant, Asta Jonasson.
But while the case has been shut down for now, Jonasson’s legal team says the fight isn’t over.
Attorney Matthew Hale told Deadline that the court “did not decide anything about the truth of Ms. Asta Jonasson’s allegations.”
He said the dismissal was based on what he called a legal technicality, adding that Jonasson “intends to appeal.”
Judge Daniel M. Crowley’s decision focused almost entirely on location rather than the accusations themselves. In his 13-page ruling, he noted that “it is undisputed that the alleged sexual assault took place in Atlanta, Georgia,” during the 2010 filming of Fast Five.
Because Jonasson filed the case under a California statute and the incident allegedly happened in Georgia, the judge said California law cannot be applied.
California statutes, he explained, do not extend outside state lines unless lawmakers explicitly say so.
Jonasson first filed the lawsuit in December 2023, claiming Diesel assaulted her in his hotel suite after a night out.
In her filing, she said she tried to break free “while repeatedly saying no,” and accused Diesel of using his physical strength and position of power to overpower her.
She also said she was fired hours later by Diesel’s sister, Samantha Vincent, for resisting him.
Diesel has denied everything from the start.
“Let me be very clear, Vin Diesel categorically denies this claim in its entirety,” his attorney Bryan Freedman said when the lawsuit was filed.
Earlier this year, the judge had already dismissed four of Jonasson’s claims tied to California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act due to statute of limitations issues.
This latest ruling removed the final claims still standing.
Jonasson’s attorney argued earlier this month that the lawsuit still belonged in California because both Diesel and Jonasson live in the state and she was hired by Diesel’s Los Angeles–based company.
But Diesel’s legal team maintained that if the alleged incident took place in Georgia, that is where any legal matter should be handled.
Judge Crowley ultimately sided with Diesel’s attorneys, blocking the case from moving forward.
Freedman expressed relief in a statement after the decision, “We are grateful that the court put an end to this meritless lawsuit. We are pleased that this matter has been resolved entirely.”
While Diesel’s team considers the matter closed, Jonasson’s planned appeal means the legal battle may continue beyond this ruling.
