Diplo Denies Revenge Porn Claim After Woman Files Restraining Order
A Los Angeles woman has filed for a restraining order against Diplo, seeking to block the 42-year-old DJ “from distributing revenge porn” allegedly “designed to humiliate her and to scare other women out of coming forward,” The Daily Beast reports.
The woman, represented by high-powered attorney Lisa Bloom, reportedly tweeted a thread accusing Diplo, aka Thomas Wesley Pentz, of grooming her and hiring a private investigator to intimidate her following an argument so that she would not share “the disgusting details” she knew about him. In the thread, she alleged that the investigator threatened her by claiming her knew her address, her workplace, and her parents’ address.
The thread also alleged that Diplo had filmed sexual activity without her permission: “I SPECIFICALLY asked him not too & his reply was ‘fuck it. I’m recording this,'” she wrote. She described Diplo as “a huge manipulating liar / gaslighter who PREYS young women of ALL races (to be honest) but primarily young naive women of color.” In response to the thread, an anonymous account tweeted a naked image of the woman, one she claimed only she and Diplo had access to.
Bloom, who in 2017 represented several women in their sexual harassment claims against Bill O’Reilly but also advised convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein the same year, told The Daily Beast she is representing the woman in her claims against Diplo. “I’m very proud to represent her. As with all clients, we put her through an elaborate vetting process which she cleared. I find her to be very credible and to have corroborating evidence in support of her claims.”
Diplo’s attorney Bryan J. Freedman gave this statement to Pitchfork:
Unfortunately, this individual has been harassing my client and his family for more than a year and has repeatedly refused to stop doing so. To be clear, in no way has my client violated any law. In fact, he has repeatedly made it clear that he wants nothing whatsoever to do with this person—and simply needs her ongoing harassment of his family to end.
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault, please contact RAINN for support at www.rainn.org or 1-800-656-HOPE.