Diplo is currently facing a “revenge porn” lawsuit, and the case just got a big update. Billboard reports that the judge has ruled the accuser — referred to as Jane Doe — must reveal her identity if she wants to continue pursuing the civil matter.
Judge Mónica Ramírez Almadani noted that in high-risk situations, it’s perfectly understandable for someone to use a Doe pseudonym in a legal matter, but added that in this particular situation, the accuser has not provided sufficient evidence as to why she fits the parameters of being allowed to hide her identity.
“The court appreciates that the plaintiff’s allegations in her complaint are sensitive and of a highly personal nature and that she may face some public scrutiny,” Judge Almadani wrote in her ruling. “However, absent a demonstrated need for anonymity, there is a prevailing public interest in open judicial proceedings.” The judge also cited a previous ruling that “the people have a right to know who is using their courts.”
“Those using the courts must be prepared to accept the public scrutiny that is an inherent part of public trials,” Judge Almadani wrote, quoting from a separate, older ruling. “Plaintiff has not sufficiently demonstrated that this case warrants an exception.”
In June 2024, Jane Doe filed a complaint that Diplo had shared footage online of them having sex without her consent. She stated that the two of them had a consensual sexual relationship from 2016 to 2023 and that she occasionally “gave defendant Diplo permission to record them having sex.”
However, she claims that she later learned he’d allegedly recorded them in secret and shared the videos “without plaintiff’s knowledge or consent.”
“Plaintiff brings this action to recover for the emotional and physical injuries she endured because of Diplo’s actions,” Doe’s attorneys wrote, “and to make sure no one else is forced to suffer the privacy invasions and physical and mental trauma she felt and continues to feel to this day.”
Diplo is accused of violating the federal Violence Against Women Act, which was amended roughly three years ago to make it illegal to share “intimate” images without the consent of the individuals being depicted.
Lawyers for Diplo’s accuser argued that she should be allowed to identify herself as “Jane Doe” as she would face “personal embarrassment and social stigmatization” if her name was made public. They cautioned that the music maker has a “large following,” and claimed that another woman who spoke up about alleged revenge porn faced “ridicule and threats to bodily harm.”
Judge Almadani’s ruling is clearly a win for Diplo, who has denied the allegations. In court filings, the DJ’s attorneys argued that he “cannot adequately confront his accuser without knowing her identity.” The judge obviously agreed, but added that she will “not tolerate any disrespect toward either party.”
“This case, like all other cases, shall be handled with professionalism and civility by all sides,” Judge Almadani wrote. “Any actual threats of retaliation or harassment shall be brought to the Court’s attention immediately.”
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