Warning: This post contains descriptions of sexual violence and abuse.
In a turn of events that’s as disturbing as it is disappointingly familiar, Thomas Wesley Pentz, better known as Diplo, is once again in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. This time, he’s facing a lawsuit filed in California by someone going only by Jane Doe, who’s stepping forward with accusations that Diplo shared intimate images and videos of her without consent. It seems like déjà vu with all the celebrities accused of sexual misconduct, but unfortunately, it’s the reality we’re dealing with.
Doe says that she started communicating with Diplo on Snapchat back in April 2016 when Doe was 21. Diplo was 37 at the time. The two moved their relationship from strictly digital, which involved Doe and Diplo sending explicit content to each other, to a physical, IRL relationship.
While this part is permissible (even if the age gap is a little cringe-inducing), a distressing revelation brought their relationship to an end in October 2023. Doe “learned that Pentz had been distributing images and videos of their sexual encounters without her knowledge or consent,” per Vanity Fair. This breach of trust wasn’t a one-time incident but apparently began in October 2018 and persisted over the years. To top it all off, Doe’s lawsuit states that she made it very clear to the DJ that she did not want him to record sexual activities, let alone distribute them without her consent.
This isn’t the first time Diplo’s name has been dragged through the mud for such actions. Shelly Auguste brought similar allegations against him back in 2020, stating their online interactions led to non-consensual sharing of private content a.k.a revenge porn — which is a crime and form of sexual, digital, and psychological abuse.
Despite Diplo’s attempts to deny those claims, the pattern is hard to ignore. This isn’t just about calling out Diplo, either. It’s about standing up to a culture that too often silences victims and idolizes perpetrators. “Tragically, this is not the first time the defendant has shamed and violated a woman by disseminating intimate images without her consent,” Helene Weiss, an attorney for Doe, said in a statement. “Diplo’s alleged illicit pattern of behavior illustrates the harm he’s caused Jane Doe, and other young women just like her.”
We need to hold those in positions of power accountable for their actions. Consent isn’t a suggestion; it’s a requirement. And respect? Non-negotiable.
