Diplo accused of distributing revenge porn in new lawsuit
A new lawsuit accuses producer Diplo of distributing revenge porn.
The suit, filed Thursday by a Jane Doe in California, claims that the producer, born Thomas Wesley Pentz, distributed sexual images and videos of her without her consent.
Representatives for Diplo did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Diplo is a rare producer and DJ who became a household name for his work with Skrillex, Justin Bieber and Usher, among many other top acts. He’s also a festival mainstay at both EDM and country events who hosted his own showcase at the Stagecoach country music festival in April.
The suit alleges that the woman, who lives in New York, had an ongoing sexual relationship with Diplo between 2016 and 2023. “During that time, Plaintiff made it known that she did not want Defendant Diplo recording them engaging in sexual activities without her explicit consent nor did she want him to distribute images and/or videos to third parties and never gave him consent to do so,” the suit states.
However, the suit claims that in November 2023, a third party whom Jane Doe did not know beforehand “told Plaintiff that she was in possession of images and videos of Plaintiff and Defendant Diplo having sex.”
The Recording Academy, which presents the Grammy Awards, is facing renewed questions surrounding its handling of claims of misconduct by former executives.
“Between 2018 and 2023, without Plaintiff’s knowledge or consent, Defendant Diplo recorded himself having sex with Plaintiff on numerous occasions and disclosed and/or distributed the images and videos to third parties,” the suit continues. “Defendant Diplo shared the images and/or videos with the third parties via text messaging and Snapchat.”
Jane Doe says in the lawsuit that she submitted a police report to the NYPD about Diplo in November 2023.
“Plaintiff has and will continue to suffer personal injury from the disclosure and/or distribution of the intimate images and/or videos depicting her genitals and face while she was engaged in sexually explicit activity,” the suit continues, citing “extreme and severe emotional distress with physical manifestations, anxiety, depression, and loss of privacy.”
Diplo was previously sued for sexual abuse, distributing revenge porn and other misconduct by a Los Angeles woman, Shelly Auguste, in 2021. “DIPLO solicited Ms. Auguste for sex when she was underage,” her suit alleges. “Later, he had sex with her, twice, without disclosing that he had sexually transmitted infections (STIs), which he gave to her. When she spoke out about his abusive behavior, he retaliated against her by posting photos of her vagina and breasts on social media without her consent.”
Diplo denied her claims in a 2021 Instagram post, and in 2022, he won a $1.2-million arbitration ruling that Auguste’s social media posts violated the terms of a mutual restraining order. Diplo’s attorney, Bryan J. Freedman, told Pitchfork last year, “Wes will defend himself, and, just as he has done every time Ms. Auguste has defamed, harassed and attacked him and his family, he will win.”
Auguste’s suit against Diplo is set for a civil trial in January.
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