After Sexual Misconduct Allegations, Diplo Speaks: ‘I am Not This Person’

Artist and producer Diplo, real name Thomas Wesley Pentz, is speaking out in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations. The

Diplo

Artist and producer Diplo, real name Thomas Wesley Pentz, is speaking out in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations. The EDM scene star is defending himself after a former fan has leveled some disturbing allegations against him, and he is refusing to be extorted by her actions. CELEB takes a look at what those accusations are, and what Diplo has to say about the whole thing.

Diplo Speaks Out

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Pentz has spoken out at length on Instagram in response to what he calls a case of stalking and attempted extortion. A woman whom Pentz admits to having had sex with has accused of him of sexual misconduct, distributing revenge porn, and other disturbing allegations. However, in a meticulous takedown online, Pentz has shared screenshots of conversations with the woman, whom he refer to only as, “SA,” refuting many of her claims using her own words. It’s a long and twisted story, but Pentz make no bones about his stance on it: this is not who he is, and he will not be bullied or extorted by this woman.

In the Instagram post, Pentz starts by explaining, “I will keep this story easy to read because i know the internet has a short attention span, and it was my goal to never address a stalker.” He goes on to explain that he never had contact with SA when she was a minor, and adds that she seems to be hell-bent on destroying everything he’s worked hard to build including his family and career.

The History

Pentz continues, “I had a night of consensual sex with her. Basically, SA reached out to me and I declined a few times but at one time decided to meet her.” From there, they exchanged flirty texts, explicit images, and small talk for a few months before Pentz cut it off when it became clear that she was getting obsessive. That, Pentz explains, started a 3-year-long nightmare of harassments and threats towards himself and his friends and family.

Pentz says he began to believe she was a call girl after SA offered to set up sex with several of her friends, and he then shared a video of texts that were exchanged between the two of them with explicit images removed. The texts go on for awhile and appear to be one-sided. SA engages in some flirty and explicit talk, but the first real response you see from Pentz is quite far down the video, in the form of reaction emojis to a few of her comments.

In the texts, SA explains that she’s been tested three times so a rumor suggesting that Pentz had given her chlamydia was untrue. Pentz received a warning that SA was out to get him, and he blocked her after she defended herself vociferously for a few lengthy texts.  In the series of texts, SA goes back and forth between saying they had started speaking in 2016 and 2017, a point which he brings up later as proof that they did not start talking when she was a minor.

Over time, it came out that SA possessed explicit images and tried filing a lawsuit demanding millions of dollars from Pentz. That lawsuit was dropped. SA harassed Pentz, texting and messaging on countless numbers and accounts and showing up at his home. Pentz explains that he tried to be kind and tried to offer help through the courts. It later came to light that there was a restraining order against SA filed in Florida for harassing a family there.

In April, Pentz filed a lawsuit against SA for stalking, trespassing, and revenge porn. In response, SA’s lawyers filed a complaint alleging that Pentz raped her. By her own admission in a social media post, Pentz never did rape her. Pentz brings receipts and shows time and again through text messages that she herself sent that many of her claims are demonstrably untrue.

Pentz concludes with, “Culture is quick to follow unsubstantiated claims. I’m a public figure and this comes with the territory and I understand that. I want to add also these previous claims have been dropped or abandoned and those facts go unreported. This is frustrating and embarrassing.”

Pentz adds, “I am not this person, and I won’t be extorted by anyone no matter how stinging the press can be. Even over the past 2 years I’ve never been bothered by these rumors if anything it has made me stronger and smarter.”

The artist concludes, “I will continue to do everything I can do end this in the most respectful way but I will not give in to lies and harassment.”

Will Diplo be Charged?

Diplo

SA has claimed that Pentz distributed revenge porn of her and gave her chalmydia, but her own admission puts those claims to lie. Now that Pentz has spoken out and has released all the text messages proving that not all is as she says it is, it seems unlikely he’ll face charges. There may be more to the story, but he’s made a compelling public case that she’s a stalker and that most of the communication and contact has been uninvited and harassing.

Of course, the public isn’t the only entity Pentz will need to convince, but there doesn’t seem to be any teeth to her accusations. It’s not entirely uncommon for obsessed fans to take things too far, and most big celebrities can share a story of a stalker. Pentz made the classic mistake of sleeping with her which gave her access most stalking fans wouldn’t have; unfortunately, it was a hard lesson to learn. Clearly, Pentz wants to put it all behind him. But it’s a messy and complicated case the courts will have to untangle.

Independent reports via Yahoo!, “Court documents claimed the woman ‘fell into the cycle of Diplo’s abuse’ and that he would ‘put her down if she did not give into his demands’.

‘He knew she was an impressionable and vulnerable young woman as he had groomed her since she was a teenager,’ the documents said.

The woman was granted a temporary restraining order against Pentz in November 2020. He has previously sued her for stalking, trespassing and distribution of private materials, and was granted a temporary restraining order against her.”

It would seem at face value that none of her key claims are true – but the courts will have the final say.

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