Acclaimed DJ and record producer Paul Oakenfold has been accused of sexual harassment by his former personal assistant.
The accusations were brought to light in a new lawsuit, filed at LA Superior Court on Friday (June 2) by a woman who formerly worked for him. Identified as Jane Roe, the 24-year-old is seeking damages in excess of $25,000 (£20,000), and alleges that she was harassed on numerous occasions by the Grammy-nominated DJ.
As per the suit, the complaint is formed of five claims, all taking place after she was hired in October 2022 and assigned to be the musician’s personal assistant for $20 per hour (£20).
During this time, the plaintiff claims, Oakenfold allegedly exposed himself and masturbated in front of her on four separate occasions. The first took place on her first day as his assistant, then occurred on four other dates. On one date in November of last year, he allegedly performed the act four times in a single day and, on a separate occasion, also did so in her vehicle.
In the filing, she also states that New Frequency Management and Stepanek Management — two companies run by CEO Paul Stepanek — violated her employment rights, and presented her with a nondisclosure agreement when she reported the incidents to management.
Refusing to sign the paperwork, she claims she was prevented from returning to work and threatened with losing her job.
As per the filing from Beverly Hills firm, Blackstone Law APC, Roe eventually signed the agreement “under duress” and was not assigned to Oakenfold when she returned to work. Later, however, she reportedly had her working hours reduced, and was ultimately laid off this March due to “a lack of work”. Find the full filing here (via Deadline).
Aged 59, Oakenfold has had an extensive career as a record producer, remixer and trance DJ. He has also provided remixes for countless artists, including The Rolling Stones, Britney Spears, Madonna, Muse and Michael Jackson.
At time of writing, Oakenfold has not yet responded to the allegations raised against him. NME has also approached New Frequency Management and Stepanek Management for comment.
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.