Diplo has been accused of distributing revenge porn in a new lawsuit.
The DJ was sued by his accuser yesterday (June 27), in which his victim claimed he sent sexually explicit videos and photos of her to another woman.
In court papers seen by Rolling Stone, the woman filed the lawsuit in California District Court under the name Jane Doe. She went on to allege she was 21 when she met Diplo (real name Thomas Wesley Pentz), who invited her to his Manhattan hotel room in June 2016 after beginning their relationship by sending sexual images two months earlier.
Doe claimed that during their casual seven-year relationship, the DJ would occasionally and consensually record their sexual encounters. However, the woman also claimed she made it clear that all photos and footage were to remain private.
In November 2023, the lawsuit claimed that Doe received a message from a third party saying they were in possession of sexual videos and images of Doe, which they alleged had been sent via Snapchat in October 2018. “Upon information and belief,” the lawsuit added, “defendant Diplo has continued to disclose and/or distribute [Doe’s] intimate images and/or videos from 2018 through present.”
Doe apparently filed a police report in New York on November 7, whereby the NYPD “issued a warrant for Defendant Diplo’s arrest for dissemination of intimate images and/or videos depicting” Doe days later. The NYPD later confirmed to Rolling Stone that there was an active investigation, saying: “There is a criminal complaint on file for unlawful dissemination for a suspect with the name of Thomas Pentz which is currently being investigated by NYPD detectives.”
NME has reached out to Diplo’s representatives for comment.
This is the second time Diplo has been accused of distributing revenge porn. In 2020, an accuser claimed the DJ had groomed her and circulated footage of their sexual encounters without her consent.
She was subsequently granted a restraining order against him after an explicit photo of her made its way onto Twitter, and he was ordered to delete any remaining photos of her. Diplo requested his own restraining order against his accuser claiming she tried to “stalk and harass” him.
Diplo strongly denied the accusations in 2021 and later won $1.2million against the accuser in fees, damages, costs and expenses.
A separate lawsuit was also filed by another woman in July 2021 accusing Diplo of sexual assault, which was then eventually dropped. Diplo denied all allegations.
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.