Diplo faces new claims he distributed revenge porn – as DJ says he’s being stalked and his accuser is ‘dangerously unstable’
Diplo is accused of distributing photographs of a naked woman in what the American DJ’s lawyer claims is an “ongoing smear campaign” against him.
In Diplo’s latest legal battle with a California woman, she accused the musician of distributing nude photos of her without permission.
Shelly August, 27, previously accused the 45-year-old Mississippi music artist of sexual battery, assault, defamation and fraud in a lawsuit filed in 2021.
Thomas Wesley Pentz, known professionally as Diplo, sued Auguste in Los Angeles Superior Court and won $1.2 million after claiming she threatened to release revenge porn and repeatedly had unwanted contact with the mother of his child and other members families.
Now, in his new case, which was handed over to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office by the LAPD in November, Auguste is suing the musician for an extensive list of alleged offenses.
Diplo has been accused of distributing nude photos of woman Shelley Auguste in what the American DJ’s lawyer claims is an “ongoing smear campaign” against him.
Shelley August, 27, previously accused the 45-year-old Mississippi DJ of sexual battery, assault, defamation and fraud in a lawsuit filed in 2021.
The charges include sexual battery, gender-based violence, malicious interference, battery, assault, defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and fraud, as well as violations of the Ralph Civil Rights Act and the Tom Bain Civil Rights Act.
Diplo’s lawyer, attorney Brian J. Friedman, did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment but said Pitchfork: “For over three years, Shelley August has orchestrated an ongoing smear campaign against Wes, and this is the same.
“Now Madame Auguste is back at it.” But Wes will defend himself, and as he has done every time Ms. Auguste has defamed, harassed and attacked him and his family, he will prevail.”
In 2020, Diplo previously hit back at Auguste when she filed for a restraining order and accused him of distributing revenge pornography, seeking her own ban by claiming that she was actually the one leaking nude images of him.
The DJ claimed his accuser posted nude photos of him on social media and also sent them to some of his former lovers, including the mother of his children.
Auguste first posted the allegations on Twitter in October 2020. Shortly after, a nude image of her appeared on the site, posted by a user who she believed was acting on behalf of the DJ in an attempt to “humiliate” and silence her.
Auguste successfully obtained a restraining order preventing the artist from distributing “revenge porn.” The judge also ordered Diplo to identify anyone he may have sent the images to and to obtain “express written permission” from his accuser to further distribute any images.
Attorney Lisa Bloom, who previously advised Harvey Weinstein, represented the accuser back in 2020.
Bloom said, “We are pleased to announce that by order dated November 16, 2020, the Court has determined that our requests are ‘fully granted’ and a restraining order has been issued.”
Thomas Wesley Pentz, known professionally as Diplo, sued Auguste in Los Angeles Superior Court and won $1.2 million after claiming she threatened to release revenge porn and repeatedly had unwanted contact with the mother of his child and other members families.
In 2020, Diplo hit back at Auguste when she filed for a restraining order and accused him of distributing revenge pornography, seeking her own ban by claiming that she was actually the one leaking nude images of him.
Attorney Lisa Bloom represented Diplo’s accuser
Friedman has represented the celebrity since 2020 – at the time of the restraining order, the lawyer said: “To be clear, my client has in no way violated any law. Moreover, he repeatedly made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with this man.”
Auguste’s original charges alleged that Diplo “hunted” her after they first made contact when she was 17 and he was 36.
The court document states: “The defendant tweeted me. I was shocked and excited because the Respondent is a famous DJ, producer and songwriter.
“After communicating via Twitter, we exchanged phone numbers and Snapchat usernames. I was 17 years old when we met, and the Defendant was 36 years old.”
They didn’t meet until March 2018, but “regularly exchanged sexually explicit photos, videos and messages,” according to the documents. They reportedly had sex for the first time in April 2019.
In the documents, the woman adds: “I was taken by surprise and shocked when Defendant sent me unwanted videos of himself having sex with other women around October 2018.
“I sternly told the defendant that I did not want him to ever record our sexual activities.”
Claiming she was contacted by a private investigator hired by the DJ, the woman says she felt “threatened and intimidated.”
In an Oct. 26 Twitter thread, Auguste claimed that Diplo filmed her without her consent, writing, “I SPECIFICALLY asked him about it and he said, ‘Fuck it.’ I’m writing this down.”
Current charges against Diplo include sexual battery, gender-based violence, intentional interference with privacy, battery, assault, defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and fraud.
Auguste’s original allegations alleged that Diplo “preyed” on her after they first came into contact when she was 17 and he was 36.
When Auguste initially sought a restraining order against Diplo, she identified herself only as “Shelley” on her Twitter profile.
The thread Shelley posted about Diplo on October 26, 2020 is shown in full above.
She also claimed he hired a private investigator to contact her after they had an argument, saying he wanted to “scare” her so she wouldn’t share the “disgusting details” she knew about him.
“The private investigator told me he knows my address, he knows my parents’ address, he knows my place of work and also my parents’ place of work,” she tweeted.
“Take it as you will, but most people will take it as a threat.”
In another tweet, Auguste wrote: “I never had the desire or intention to expose Diplo because I didn’t want all the years I spent talking and interacting with him to go in vain… or end unpleasantly.
“But slowly I began to realize that he is a huge manipulative liar/gaslighter who preys on young women of ALL races (to be honest) but primarily young naive women of color.”