Diplo Accused of Distributing Revenge Porn in New Lawsuit

Michael Buckner/Variety

DJ and producer Diplo has been sued for distributing revenge porn, marking the second accusation lobbed against him for the same offense in less than a year.

In the suit, filed in California on Thursday, an unidentified woman referred to as Jane Doe said she had an intimate relationship with Diplo from June 2016 to October 2023. She started chatting with Diplo, whose real name is Thomas Wesley Pentz, on Snapchat in April 2016 when she was 21 years old. That June, he invited Doe to his Manhattan hotel room and began an intimate relationship that continued for years. Last November, the complaint says that she discovered Diplo had been allegedly distributing images and videos of their sexual interactions without her consent.

Doe states that during their relationship, she made it clear to Diplo that she didn’t want him filming or distributing videos or images made without consent. In November, she asserts that another woman reached out explaining that she had explicit videos featuring Doe in them that Diplo had given to her over Snapchat in Oct. 2018. On Nov. 7, Doe reported Diplo to the New York Police Department and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Requests for comment from Diplo’s representatives and attorney went unanswered.

This isn’t the first time that Diplo has been accused of disseminating revenge porn. In 2020, a woman named Shelly Auguste claimed that Diplo had sexually assaulted her and distributed revenge porn without her consent. Diplo responded with his own suit and claimed on Instagram that she was a “stalker” who engaged in a baseless smear campaign.

In August 2023, Auguste filed another report with the Los Angeles Police Department alleging that he distributed nude photographs of her. In November, the LAPD submitted the case to the Los Angeles attorney’s office, and it was taken under review.

“Tragically, this is not the first time the defendant has shamed and violated a woman by disseminating intimate images without her consent,” said Doe’s attorney Helene Weiss, partner at Marsh Law Firm, in a statement shared with Variety. “Diplo’s alleged illicit pattern of behavior illustrates the harm he’s caused Jane Doe, and other young women just like her.  Our client deserves justice, and she’s hopeful that this litigation may serve as a catalyst in ending the defendant’s repeated victimization of women once and for all.”

“Revenge pornography is an abhorrent violation of privacy and trust, inflicting profound emotional trauma on victims like Jane Doe,” adds Micha Liberty of Liberty Law. “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. This lawsuit is a vital step towards justice, highlighting the necessity of protecting the rights of those who have been exploited. Jane Doe’s bravery in speaking out against this injustice is a powerful reminder of the need for systemic change to support and safeguard all survivors of such violations.”

“Rampant repeated sexual abuse by the rich and famous is deeply embedded into the entertainment industry, but we are witnessing a cultural shift where survivors and their stories refuse to remain silent in the name of tours and ticket sales,” says Margaret E. Mabie, partner at Marsh Law Firm. “Our brave client’s story is one of Diplo’s many worst-kept secrets, and the filing this case is her first step at forging a path to civil justice.”