Diplo reaches “resolution” in legal dispute with woman who accused DJ of sexual assault and revenge porn

Content warning: This article contains references to alleged sexual assault and harassment

Diplo has reached a “resolution” in the years-long legal dispute with a woman who accused the DJ of sexual battery, assault and the distribution of revenge porn, Rolling Stone reports.

Lawyers representing the electronic music star born Thomas Wesley Pentz made the announcement on Monday 6th January, stating an agreement had been reached with Shelley Auguste “in principle”. This averts a trial which would have started on Monday 13th January. 

“We have a resolution in principle. We’re probably days, not weeks, away from getting it signed. There are one or two paragraphs to kind of tweak. We sent [amendments] over the weekend,” Brian Elliot Turnauer, Diplo’s lawyer, told the court.

Auguste’s legal representation, Kimberley Casper, was reportedly asked by Judge Rolf M. Treu if her client agreed with the proposal. After this is said to have been confirmed, the trial date was vacated with parties instructed to return with a signed settlement for the case to be dismissed. 

The dispute has been ongoing since November 2020, when Auguste filed a restraining order against Diplo. At the time, she claimed the pair met online in 2014, when she was 17 years old, and that he “groomed” her by asking for sexually explicit messages. 

Reports then followed that the musician had shared sensitive photographs of Auguste online in an act of “revenge porn“. Pentz not only denied this, but countered the claim by accusing Auguste of the same crime while petitioning for a restraining order against her, suggesting she was an “obsessed fan” who became “vindictive” when he ended their relationship. He also says they met in 2018 and engaged in “very brief” encounters on two occasions the following year. 

A settlement concerning the mutual restraining orders was almost reached in January 2021, but this required restrictions on publishing information relating to their relationship. By April, Pentz demanded further arbitration following a number of social media posts by Auguste.

A week later, he sued her for stalking, trespassing and revenge porn. A case was then brought against him that summer based on the claim that he “groomed her since she was a teenager” and forced her to have sex in a Las Vegas Hotel room on 9th July 2019, while she was heavily intoxicated. 

The new deal follows an arbitrator’s decision in September 2022 that both parties had violated the terms of their agreements and were equally liable. But, according to court records obtained by Rolling Stone magazine, Pentz was awarded $1.2million in damages at the time.

This latest development also follows news that a federal judge in Los Angeles has ruled a different woman currently involved in an unrelated revenge porn claim against Pentz, known only as Jane Doe, must use her real name in order to proceed with the case. The decision is expected to be appealed by the claimant.

If you have been affected by any of the issues discussed in this article, the following organisations may be able to provide help and advice:

In the UK 

Victim Support

Provides help and information for anyone who has been affected by a crime, including a violent or sexual assault, or is wary about involving the police.

Helpline: 0845 30 30 900 (Seven days a week)

Website: www.victimsupport.org

The Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre

Support and information for women and girls who have been raped or sexually abused, however long ago and whatever the circumstances.

Helpline: 0845 1221 331 (Seven days a week)

Website: www.rapecrisis.org.uk

AFEM Sexual Harassment helpline

The AFEM Sexual Harassment helpline was launched in December 2017 in response to the #metoo movement and a growing number of reports of sexual harassment in all sectors of the entertainment industry. Stepping forward as a victim of abuse or harassment takes immense courage, this service was set-up to support all who need help and guidance via a confidential helpline.

Website

Call 0800 030 5182 (Outside the UK: +44 800 030 5182)

In North America

RAINN

RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) is the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization

The National Sexual Assault Hotline (24 hours, seven days a week):800.656.HOPE (4673), online.rainn.org, rainn.org/es

Website: https://www.rainn.org/

National Sexual Violence Resource Center

The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) is the leading nonprofit in providing information and tools to prevent and respond to sexual violence. 

Directory of organizations: https://www.nsvrc.org/organizations

Website: https://www.nsvrc.org/