LOS ANGELES, Nov 20: A California judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit accusing actor Vin Diesel of sexually assaulting his former assistant in 2010, ruling that California law does not apply to incidents alleged to have occurred in Georgia.

The lawsuit, filed in 2023 by Asta Jonasson in Los Angeles Superior Court, claimed that Diesel pinned her against a wall and engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct while in Atlanta for the filming of Fast Five, the fifth installment of the Fast & Furious franchise. Jonasson also alleged that Diesel had brought her to his hotel suite, forced her onto a bed, and attempted to engage in further sexual misconduct.

The complaint stated that Jonasson, who worked for Diesel for nine days, protested and tried to get away. Hours later, she claimed, Diesel’s sister contacted her and terminated her employment.

Judge Daniel M. Crowley had previously dismissed four of Jonasson’s 10 claims, citing the statute of limitations. On Wednesday, he dismissed the remaining six claims, citing a lack of jurisdiction.

“It is undisputed that the alleged sexual assault took place in Atlanta, Ga.,” the judge wrote. “The claim fails as a matter of law because California statutes are presumed not to have extraterritorial effect unless the Legislature expressly states otherwise in adopting the statute.”

Jonasson’s suit would ordinarily have been time-barred, but the 2022 Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act, signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom, temporarily revived certain sexual assault cases dating back to 2009. The judge ruled that the law does not apply outside California.

In a statement, Jonasson’s lawyers said they plan to appeal the ruling. “The Court did not decide anything about the truth of Ms. Jonasson’s allegations,” they said. “The ruling was based on a legal technicality, with which we respectfully disagree. Ms. Jonasson intends to appeal.”

Diesel’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, called the lawsuit “meritless” and reaffirmed that the allegations were denied. “We are grateful that the court put an end to this meritless lawsuit,” Freedman said. “We are pleased that this matter has been resolved entirely.”