Diplo is fighting back against a woman who has made repeated allegations of sexual assault against him.
The 42-year-old producer and DJ, whose real name is Thomas Pentz, took to Instagram on Wednesday to share what he described as “a story about how a stalker scammed her way into my life and tried to extort me for millions and then sued me when she didn’t get what she wanted.”
The post is in response to reports this week that the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office is considering criminal charges against Diplo after the woman accused Diplo of raping her, recording and distributing sexually explicit videos of her without consent and knowingly infecting her with an STD.
“Culture is quick to follow unsubstantiated claims. I’m a public figure and this comes with the territory and I understand that,” Diplo wrote. “I will continue to do everything I can to end this in the most respectful way but I will not give in to lies and harassment.”
Referring to his accuser only by her initials “SA,” Diplo fumed: “She was an obsessed fan of mine, and after I relinquished all contact with her, it appears that her only purpose in life has been to disrupt my work, my business, harass me and my close friends and attack me and threaten my family.”
He denied the woman’s claims and shared text messages he claims prove she is lying. Diplo said all of their sexual encounters were consensual and, at one point, he suspected she was “possibly a call girl” and “engaging in criminal activity.”
Diplo sought a restraining order against the woman in December 2020 and sued her in April 2021, alleging stalking and harassment.