Diplo Sued for Distributing Revenge Porn in New Lawsuit

Michael Buckner/Variety

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

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

Doe claims that during their relationship, she made it clear to Diplo that she did not want him to film or distribute any videos or images made without her consent. In November, she claims another woman contacted her to explain that she had explicit videos featuring Doe that Diplo had given her on Snapchat in October 2018. On November 7, Doe reported Diplo to the police of New York and a warrant for his arrest was issued.

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

This is not the first time Diplo has been accused of distributing revenge porn. In 2020, a woman named Shelly Auguste claimed that Diplo sexually assaulted her and distributed revenge porn without her consent. Diplo responded by filing a complaint and claiming on Instagram that she was a “harasser” who had engaged in a baseless smear campaign.

In August 2023, Auguste filed a new complaint with the Los Angeles Police Department, accusing them of distributing nude photos of her. In November, the LAPD submitted the case to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office, which reviewed it.

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

“Revenge porn is a heinous violation of privacy and trust, inflicting profound emotional trauma on victims like Jane Doe,” added Micha Liberty of Liberty Law. “Diplo’s actions constitute a grave abuse of power and a blatant disregard for human dignity. It is imperative that we, as a society, condemn such acts and hold perpetrators accountable. This trial is a critical step toward justice, underscoring the need to protect the rights of those who have been exploited. Jane Doe’s courage in speaking out against this injustice is a powerful reminder of the need for systemic change to support and protect all survivors of such violations.”

“Repeated and rampant sexual abuse by the rich and famous is deeply ingrained in the entertainment industry, but we are witnessing a cultural shift in which survivors and their stories refuse to remain silent in the name of touring and publicity. ticket sales,” says Margaret E. Mabie, partner at Marsh Law Firm. “Our courageous client’s story is one of Diplo’s many worst-kept secrets, and filing this lawsuit is her first step toward civil justice.”