Several prominent individuals, including Vin Diesel, Tommy Lee, Jermaine Jackson, and Nigel Lythgoe, have been hit with sexual abuse lawsuits under California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act, allowing victims to revive claims previously barred by the statute of limitations.
The law aims to provide victims with a second chance to pursue justice.
Each case involves detailed allegations of sexual assault, and the accused individuals have denied the claims. (Trending: U.S. State Passes Personal Pronoun Ban)
Ethan Krasnoo, Partner at Reavis Page Jump LLP, said, “The purpose is to give alleged victims a second bite at the apple, with an opportunity to pursue claims that they were not in a position to pursue or failed to pursue before the legal timeline for doing so expired.”
Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani, said, “Sexual assault and abuse are two of the most underreported crimes.”
“Victims can feel ashamed and may not want to relive their trauma at a very public trial. They may also feel that the public and a jury won’t believe them if it’s a ‘he said, she said’ situation,” she continued.
“But the pressure of filing a lawsuit or losing the opportunity altogether can motivate victims to contact a lawyer. And once a perpetrator has been named, that can empower other victims to come forward. That’s what #MeToo was all about,” added Rahmani.
“Some of my clients have taken more than ten years to make a public disclosure of the sexual assault they endured,” said Krasnoo.
“There are many reasons for this, including victims assigning self-blame and embarrassment, victims failing to understand that what they endured is illegal or failing to understand the time limitations on bringing a lawsuit,” he continued.
“When the perpetrator is someone the victim trusts, it can especially complicate a victim’s ability to recognize what happened to them as sexual assault. And it can take a lot of courage for a victim to bring an action and publicly disclose the allegations after having suffered trauma as a result of rape or sexual abuse. Some may not be ready to do so for quite some time, if ever,” concluded the attorney.
Asta Jonasson’s lawsuit states, “Vin Diesel forcibly grabbed Ms. Jonasson, groped her breasts, and kissed her.”
Jonasson alleges that Vin Diesel “pinned her against the wall with his body and grabbed Ms. Jonasson’s hand and placed it on his erect penis. Disgusted by being forced to touch his penis, Ms. Jonasson instantaneously withdrew her hand and again verbally refused him,” according to the lawsuit.
Vin Diesel’s representative stated, “Let me be very clear, Vin Diesel categorically denies this claim in its entirety,” the rep said. “This is the first he has ever heard about this more than 13-year-old claim made by a purportedly nine-day employee. There is clear evidence which completely refutes these outlandish allegations.”
Rita Barrett’s lawsuit against Jermaine Jackson states, “Defendant Jackson forced himself into Plaintiff’s home, and with force and violence sexually assaulted Plaintiff.”
“Because of his relationships with both Defendant Jackson and Plaintiff’s family, Mr. Gordy was uniquely situated to both report Defendant Jackson’s acts and to aid Plaintiff during her time of trauma,” reads the lawsuit.
“Instead, Mr. Gordy withheld and concealed the acts, further perpetuating the cover-up and allowing Mr. Gordy, Defendant Jackson, and others in the business relationship to continue to reap profits derived from Mr. Jackson’s work and reputation for years to come,”
The lawsuits highlight the challenges faced by victims in coming forward due to shame, fear, and the complexities of reporting sexual abuse.
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