Diplo accused of distributing revenge porn in new accusation

Thomas Wesley Pentz, better known as Diplo, has made a name for himself throughout his career thanks to his chart-topping productions and collaborations. Now the American producer is facing new allegations of distributing revenge porn in a recent police report filed in Los Angeles, California.

Diplo has been an icon of the electronic dance music scene for over a decade. Still, his legacy has been marred by allegations of abuse and sexual harassment that were revealed in 2020 by Shelly Auguste. The initial allegations were publicly confronted by Diplo in 2021 when he posted a lengthy statement on social media detailing his side of the story and how his connections to the accuser had affected his life and the reality of the story from his point of view. Although Diplo was not charged over the initial accusations, Auguste and he remained in a legal battle where she looked to take her case to civil court alleging sexual battery, gender violence, battery, assault, defamation, fraud, intentional intrusion into private affairs, intentional infliction of emotional distress.

As that case is set to open in court in April 2024, Diplo in turn has sued Auguste, accusing her of stalking, trespassing, and distributing private materials. As the trial date looms, it appears that Auguste has filed new charges with the Los Angeles Police Department, claiming that the producer distributed nude photos and sexual content of her to another person without her permission as a form of revenge. Diplo’s attorney, Bryan J. Freedman spoke about the latest allegations against his client:

“For more than three years, Shelly Auguste has been orchestrating an ongoing smear campaign against [Diplo] — and this is just more of the same. Now, Ms. Auguste is at it yet again. But [he] will defend himself, and, just as he has done every time Ms. Auguste has defamed, harassed and attacked him and his family, he will win.”

As of this writing, police in Los Angeles have yet to formally charge Diplo, and the music industry and fans around the world await further details on the situation.