Diplo reaches “resolution” in dispute with sexual battery accuser

Diplo‘s lawyers have announced that the DJ and producer has reached a global “resolution in principle” with a woman who previously accused him of sexual assault.

The resolution ends his legal dispute with Shelly Auguste, a woman with whom Diplo had a sexual relationship with back in 2019.

The DJ – real name Thomas Wesley Pentz – has been in a years-long dispute with Auguste who had accused him of distributing revenge porn as well as sexual battery, gender violence, intentional intrusion into private affairs, battery, assault, defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and fraud.

Pentz has denied Auguste’s claims and filed a lawsuit against her back in April 2021 for alleged stalking, trespassing and distributing private materials. That claim alleged that Auguste is “dangerously unstable” and stated that “she made relentless efforts to communicate with him” after he ended their relationship.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by diplo (@diplo)

As per Rolling Stone, Pentz’s lawyer Brian Elliot Turnauer told the court: “We have a resolution in principle. We’re probably days, not weeks, away from getting it signed. There are one or two paragraphs to kind of tweak. We sent [revisions] over the weekend.”

Auguste’s attorney, Kimberly Casper, agreed with the settlement claim, leading Judge Rolf M. to vacate the trial date – which was scheduled for Monday (January 13) but has been adverted – and said that both parties should return on January 13 hopefully with the signed settlement which would dismiss the case.

The news of the resolution between Pentz and Auguste comes after a federal judge in Los Angeles ruled that a different woman who had filed a separate “revenge porn” lawsuit against the DJ last June must reveal her name in order to proceed with the suit.

In a statement shared with Rolling Stone, Jane Doe’s lawyer said that she plans to appeal the decision.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by diplo (@diplo)

Diplo took to his official Instagram account last summer to address the allegations made against him, sharing a carousel post with a caption that read: “Don’t believe what you read in the news.

Back In 2020, an accuser claimed the DJ had groomed her and circulated footage of their sexual encounters without her consent.

She was subsequently granted a restraining order against him after an explicit photo of her made its way onto Twitter, and he was ordered to delete any remaining photos of her. Diplo requested his own restraining order against his accuser claiming she tried to “stalk and harass” him.

Diplo strongly denied the accusations in 2021 and later won $1.2million against the accuser in fees, damages, costs and expenses.

A separate lawsuit was also filed by another woman in July 2021 accusing Diplo of sexual assault, which was then eventually dropped. Diplo denied all allegations.

For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.

The post Diplo reaches “resolution” in dispute with sexual battery accuser appeared first on NME.