Two more women have joined a lawsuit against Bassnectar, which details allegations of sexual abuse, grooming, human trafficking, and manufacturing and possessing child pornography.
The two new plaintiffs, Jenna Houston and Jane Doe #1, allege that Bassnectar groomed and sexually abused them as minors, causing lasting physical and psychological damage.
Rolling Stone reports Houston said that Bassnectar reached out to her via a direct message on Twitter after she had tweeted lyrics in April 2012, when Houston was 16 years of age and Bassnectar was 34. “A few months after first contacting Jenna, Bassnectar came to Jenna’s home state of Pennsylvania and had her meet him at the Ritz Carlton hotel in Philadelphia, PA,” the lawsuit states.
The suit goes on to detail multiple encounters in which Bassnectar allegedly sexually abused Houston and paid her in cash after intercourse. It claims he continually flew Houston out to his gigs over the next three years and successfully groomed her, using her impressionable age to take advantage of her. It also alleges that when Houston was no longer a minor and went off to college, Bassnectar chose to end his relations with her.
Jane Doe #1’s allegations included a similar account, including sexual abuse and human trafficking in addition to an accusation of Bassnectar coercing Doe into sending sexually explicit photographs while she was still underage. The suit alleges that Bassnectar was aware that Doe struggled with mental health issues, and her parents became increasingly protective of her. The DJ allegedly used that information to coerce her into crafting a letter to her therapist about how she “felt trapped by her parents” in an attempt to remove her from their care.
Two more women have joined a lawsuit against famed DJ electronic music producer Bassnectar.
“Bassnectar’s purported noble actions and reputation of being in service to some greater good were nothing more than a veil to mask his sinister desires and actions and a means to use his power and influence to groom and ultimately sexually victimize underage girls,” the lawsuit reads.
Bassnectar’s attorneys, Kim Hodde and Mitchell Schuster, say that the allegations are without merit and Bassnectar is “completely innocent of the offensive and demonstrably false allegations outlined in this outrageous lawsuit.”
“This litigation is nothing more than a shameless attempt to profit off of the important social movement against sexual exploitation,” the attorneys said in a press statement. “Fabricated claims like these are an appalling disservice to actual victims, whom Lorin and the entire Bassnectar team unwaveringly support … We have every confidence that once these claims are actually tested under oath in a courtroom – rather than through the court of public opinion – Lorin will be fully exonerated … We will pursue every appropriate remedy to hold these opportunists accountable for the damage they have caused to Lorin’s life and reputation.”
The suit additionally names management companies C3 Presents and Red Light Management, production company Gnarlos Industries and Bassnectar’s Interactive Giving Fund Charity as defendants.
