Diplo Faces New Allegations of Distributing Explicit Images in Ongoing Legal Battle

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Warning: This article discusses sensitive topics related to alleged misconduct.

Diplo, the renowned music producer, has found himself at the center of controversy once again as a California woman, Shelly Auguste, filed a police report against him in August. The report alleges that Diplo distributed explicit photographs of Auguste without her consent, marking the second time she has accused him of engaging in such behavior. The initial accusation did not lead to criminal charges against Diplo, but the recent development has raised eyebrows in the ongoing legal battle between the two.

Shelly Auguste and Diplo, whose real name is Thomas Wesley Pentz, have been entangled in a legal dispute since 2020. This latest accusation adds another layer of complexity to their already contentious relationship. The Los Angeles Police Department forwarded Auguste’s new case to the city attorney’s office in November, where it is currently under review.

Auguste’s legal battle against Diplo includes a range of allegations, including sexual battery, gender violence, intentional intrusion into private affairs, battery, assault, defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and fraud. Additionally, she has invoked the Ralph Civil Rights Act and the Tom Bane Civil Rights Act in her claims. A civil trial is slated for April 2024 to address these allegations. It’s worth noting that Diplo publicly denied these allegations in October 2021, shortly after Auguste initially filed her claims in June of the same year.

Notably, Diplo is not solely on the defensive; he has launched his own legal action against Auguste. In April 2021, he sued her for stalking, trespassing, and distributing private materials. Diplo’s lawsuit characterizes Auguste as “dangerously unstable” and accuses her of persistently attempting to communicate with him, even resorting to fake social media accounts, after their relationship ended.

When Newsound reached out to Diplo’s attorney, Bryan J. Freedman, for a statement regarding the August police report, Freedman responded assertively, saying, “For more than three years, Shelly Auguste has been orchestrating an ongoing smear campaign against Wes—and this is just more of the same.” He continued, “Now, Ms. Auguste is at it yet again. But Wes 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.”

The legal saga between Diplo and Auguste traces back to 2014 when they first made contact on Twitter. At that time, Auguste was 17 years old, while Diplo was in his mid-30s. Their interactions evolved into an intermittent online correspondence, with Auguste allegedly sharing explicit photos. They eventually met in person at a nightclub in 2018, although the exact details of their initial encounter are disputed. According to Diplo’s counter-complaint, they first connected via social media around 2018.

In April 2019, when Auguste was 22 years old, they engaged in sexual activity for the first time. Auguste’s complaint alleges that Diplo recorded the encounter on his cellphone without her consent and engaged in non-consensual activity. The legal documents highlight a complex and contested series of events, including a subsequent sexual encounter in July 2019, which Auguste claims was non-consensual.

As the legal battle continues, the music industry and the public are left to grapple with these serious allegations against a prominent figure. The outcome of this legal saga will undoubtedly have far-reaching implications for all parties involved.

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More about Revenge Porn Allegations

• Diplo Faces Fresh Accusations in Ongoing Legal Battle
• Shelly Auguste’s Allegations Against Diplo
• Previous Allegations and Outcomes
• Current Legal Actions
• Timeline of Events
• Diplo’s Public Denial