A woman who sued the Walt Disney Co. and ABC Studios alleging she was fired in retaliation for issuing an internal complaint about unequal pay on the basis of her gender and race has agreed to undergo an independent psychological examination by a psychiatrist chosen by the defense.
Asta Jonasson’s Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit alleges she was underpaid in her job as a development executive because she’s Asian and female. On Tuesday, Judge Upinder S. Kalra, based on an agreement of the parties, signed an order directing Jonasson to undergo the virtual evaluation with Dr. George Woods on Oct. 17 with a maximum time limit of eight hours.
Jonasson also is involved in separate litigation with Vin Diesel alleging sexual assault by the “Fast & Furious” actor. With the exception of her sexual history with Diesel, Woods is barred from asking the plaintiff to reveal the identities of her other sexual partners other than those already disclosed in discovery.
The Disney-ABC attorneys want the mental examination of Jonasson because she is claiming emotional distress damages. In their previous court papers, the lawyers deny their clients employed Jonasson or that the companies subjected the plaintiff to any disparate treatment.
Jonasson was hired in 2011. On multiple occasions, Jonasson complained to director/screenwriter John Ridley about what she believed was the hypocrisy of his public positions on civil rights and his private failure to pay Jonasson, like him a person of color, commensurate with her skill, effort and responsibility, the suit states.
Jonasson also complained to ABC about the alleged disparate treatment in pay between men and women, but ABC did nothing, according to the suit filed in April 2024.
In February 2016, Jonasson complained to Ridley that his producing partner had twice called her an obscene name and she demanded that the behavior stop, but all Ridley did was ask the plaintiff if the partner was joking, the suit states.
Jonasson complained to Ridley again in 2022, this time in writing, about the alleged unfair pay and noted that she had not received a raise since 2014 despite taking on more responsibilities. However, 90 days after Jonasson complained, she was terminated, according to the suit.