Diplo sued over revenge porn in new lawsuit

A New York A woman has filed a revenge porn lawsuit against Diplo, alleging the DJ and producer sent sexual videos and photos of her to another woman, according to court documents obtained by Rolling rock.

The woman, who filed under the alias Jane Doe in California District Court on Thursday, claims she was 21 when she started Snapchatting with Diplo — whose real name is Thomas Wesley Pentz — in April 2016. They allegedly exchanged sexual images and met in person in June 2016 when Pence invited the woman to his Manhattan hotel room.

During their seven-year on-and-off relationship, the woman claims Pence, 45, sometimes recorded their sexual encounters with her consent, according to her suit. However, the woman claims she was clear she wanted the footage and any personal photos to remain private.

But last November, according to the lawsuit, someone had contacted Doe and claimed to have sexual videos and images of Doe, which the woman claimed Pentz sent her via Snapchat in October 2018. “After information and belief,” the lawsuit added, “defendant Diplo continued to disclose and/or distribute [Doe’s] intimate images and/or videos from 2018 to present.”

Doe says she filed a police report in New York on Nov. 7, and days later “the NYPD issued an arrest warrant for defendant Diplo for distributing personal images and/or videos depicting” Doe, according to the lawsuit.

The NYPD did not acknowledge whether there was an active warrant for Pentz when contacted Rolling rock, but confirmed there was an active investigation. “There is a criminal complaint for unlawful dissemination against a suspect named Thomas Pence, which is currently being investigated by NYPD detectives,” a spokesperson said. (A representative for Pentz did not immediately respond to a request for comment.)

This is the second time Pentz has been accused of sharing explicit photos of a woman without her consent. Shelly Auguste has been in a legal dispute with Pentz since 2020, when she accused him of forcing her to have sex after a concert in Las Vegas. She accused the producer of recording the encounter without her knowledge and later leaked the footage online.

Auguste filed for a restraining order against Pentz in 2020 and is currently suing the DJ for sexual assault, assault, defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. (Pents previously denied Auguste's claims, claiming she was an “obsessed fan” who harassed and assaulted him.)

In July 2021, another Jane Doe sued Pentz. She claimed that during a party in Las Vegas in 2019, Pence wouldn't let her leave the room until she gave him oral sex, claiming he may have recorded the encounter. Pence denied the allegations, and the following week the woman dropped her lawsuit, saying in a statement that she “regrets[ed]”her decision and “no payment was offered or requested” as part of the withdrawal of the deposit.

New York Jane Doe is seeking at least $450,000 in damages. “Revenge pornography is a heinous violation of privacy and trust, causing deep emotional trauma to victims like Jane Doe,” her attorney, Micha Star Liberty, said in a statement to Rolling rock.

“Diplo's actions represent a serious abuse of power and a blatant disregard for human dignity,” he added. “It is imperative that we, as a society, condemn such actions and hold the perpetrators accountable. This lawsuit is a vital step toward justice, highlighting the need to protect the rights of those who have been exploited.”