DJ Diplo, whose real name is Thomas Wesley Pentz, faces serious allegations in a lawsuit filed in California on Thursday.
The Grammy-winning producer is accused of distributing revenge porn by a Jane Doe, who claims he recorded and distributed sexual images and videos of her without her consent.
The plaintiff, based in New York, stated that her physical relationship with Diplo began in June 2016 after they started exchanging explicit messages on Snapchat in April of that year. Their relationship purportedly ended in 2023.
According to the court documents, Doe allowed Diplo to record their sexual encounters at times, but made it clear that she did not consent to being recorded without explicit permission, and certainly did not agree to the distribution of such material to third parties.
In November 2023, Doe alleged that a third party contacted her, revealing they had received explicit content showing her and Diplo having sex.
This third party claimed the pornographic content, displaying Doe’s “genitals, buttocks, and face,” was sent over Snapchat on October 14, 2018.
Following their discussion, the individual filed a police report, and Doe claimed that the NYPD issued a warrant for Diplo’s arrest for disseminating intimate images and videos.
Doe is seeking up to $150,000 in damages. Diplo’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, dismissed the lawsuit, labeling it as another baseless claim.
He argued, “In every case where there has been an allegation of improper conduct made against Wes, the result has been either an immediate dismissal of a bogus lawsuit coupled with an apology, a court-ordered award for Wes in excess of $1.2 million, or the slow demise of an obvious shakedown attempt that has gone absolutely nowhere.”
Freedman further claimed, “This suit seems to be just more of the same, which is why we have no reason to believe that this will end any differently than all the others.”
On the other hand, Doe’s attorney, Micha Liberty of Liberty Law, condemned Diplo’s actions as a severe abuse of power.
“Diplo’s actions represent a severe abuse of power and a blatant disregard for human dignity. It is imperative that we, as a society, condemn such actions and hold perpetrators accountable.”
Margaret E. Mabie of Marsh Law, another attorney for Doe, added, “Our brave client’s story is one of Diplo’s many worst-kept secrets, and the filing of this case is her first step at forging a path to civil justice.”
This lawsuit is not the first time Diplo has faced similar accusations. In 2021, another woman accused him of recording and distributing sexually explicit videos without her consent and knowingly infecting her with chlamydia. Diplo denied these accusations, calling the lawsuit a fan-turned-stalker’s attempt and claiming all encounters were consensual.
In 2020, Marchel Auguste accused Diplo of sexually assaulting her and recording their encounters without her consent. She successfully obtained a temporary restraining order against him and continues to pursue legal action for sexual battery, gender violence, battery, assault, defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and more.
Additionally, rapper Azealia Banks accused Diplo of grooming her and having sex with her when she was 17 and he was in his 30s, stating, “He’s always been preying on young ethnic girls.”
