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Diplo Settles Legal Dispute Over Revenge Porn Allegations

The artist's attorney, Brian Elliot Turnauer, stated that the settlement is "days, not weeks, away from being signed"

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Diplo and Shelley Auguste, one of the women who accused the producer of distributing pornographic content, have reached a legal settlement, according to Rolling Stone.

The artist’s attorney, Brian Elliot Turnauer, stated that the settlement is “days, not weeks, away from being signed,” which led to the cancellation of a trial scheduled for Monday, January 13. “There are just one or two paragraphs left to review. We sent the revisions over the weekend,” he added.

Diplo, whose real name is Thomas Wesley Pentz, was sued in 2020 by Auguste for allegedly publishing an intimate sexual image as “revenge” after she claimed online that he had filmed one of their sexual encounters without her consent.

Later, Auguste expanded her allegations, accusing Diplo of “grooming her as a teenager” and coercing her into sexual acts in Las Vegas on July 9, 2019, while she was heavily intoxicated. She also claimed that he ejaculated inside her without her consent.

Diplo’s Response

In response, Pentz countersued, describing Auguste as an “obsessed fan” who became “vindictive” when he refused to see her again after what he called a “very brief sexual encounter.” He maintained that they met in March 2018, not 2014 as she alleged, and admitted to having sexual relations in April 2019 and again in Las Vegas in July 2019.

Diplo further accused Auguste of sending him a barrage of unsolicited “lewd and obscene” messages and becoming angry when he ended their relationship. He also claimed she sent at least four sexually explicit videos of him to the mother of one of his children, positioning himself as a victim of “revenge porn.”

Previous Legal Victories

In 2022, Diplo won a case requiring Auguste to pay him $1.2 million for violating a prior agreement to remain publicly silent about the matter. Although she did not directly name him, Auguste referenced Diplo on social media through lyrics from Rihanna and Taylor Swift songs.

Additional Allegations

This is not the only legal case involving Diplo. Another woman, identified anonymously as Jane Doe, filed a similar complaint regarding the alleged distribution of revenge porn. However, according to Billboard, the judge ruled that the case will not proceed unless she chooses to waive her anonymity and use her real name in court.

What is Revenge Porn?

Revenge porn refers to the non-consensual sharing or distribution of explicit images or videos, often by an ex-partner, with the intention of humiliating, shaming, or seeking revenge on the individual depicted.

In the case of Diplo, the woman, Shelley Auguste, accused him of publishing a sexually explicit image of her without her consent, claiming it was done as an act of «revenge» after she had made accusations online about him filming their sexual encounter without permission.

This type of behavior is considered a violation of privacy and can have serious emotional, legal, and reputational consequences for the person whose images or videos are shared. Many jurisdictions have laws that criminalize revenge porn to protect victims from such abuse.