Following the conclusion of an official police investigation into a 2020 complaint, Diplo may now face criminal charges for sexual misconduct in the city of Los Angeles.
The city attorney’s office is reportedly considering two charges against the prolific DJ: one for invasion of privacy and another for intentionally giving someone a sexually transmitted infection, according to BuzzFeed News. Both are considered misdemeanors in the state of California and punishable by fines, jail time, or both.
News first broke of the allegations last October, when a 25-year-old woman publicly accused Diplo of grooming, emotional abuse and intimidation. Her coinciding complaint with the LAPD detailed that the artist had recorded and distributed sexually explicit videos of her without consent, as well as knowingly infected her with chlamydia. And although no charges were filed at the time, the woman also told police that Diplo had raped her in July 2019 following one of his concerts in Las Vegas.
The woman went on to file a civil suit against the DJ on June 24th, characterizing him as “a middle-aged white man who targets very young Black women and girls for sexual assault.” She is seeking damages for alleged sexual battery, assault, defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Diplo.
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According to BuzzFeed News, Diplo initially reached out to the woman through Twitter DMs when she was only 17 years old. They reportedly stayed in touch over the years before connecting in person for the first time in 2019, when she was 22. Consensual sex was followed by the alleged rape later that year.
Diplo, on the other hand, has attempted to portray the woman as a fan-turned-stalker who has been harassing him and his family for years. While readily acknowledging a past consensual relationship, he rejected any claims of wrongdoing and called her “delusional.”
In response to the allegations, Diplo filed for and was granted a temporary restraining order against the woman last December. It has since expired. He also sued her for monetary damages in April on the basis of stalking, trespassing and the distribution of private materials.
Diplo denied the claims on Wednesday in a detailed Instagram post.
Editor’s Note: For professional guidance and support, speak with a sexual assault service provider via The National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
