Yahoo Finance Paul Oakenfold accused of sexual harassment in lawsuit filed by former personal assistant
DJ and record producer Paul Oakenfold has been accused of sexual harassment in a lawsuit filed by his former personal assistant.
A plaintiff under the name Jane Roe filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles on Friday and alleged she was fired from a management company that represented Oakenfold after she reported him for sexual harassment. According to Roe, she was hired by New Frequency Management and Paul Stepanek Management, both listed as co-defendants in the suit, in October 2022 to serve as a personal assistant to Oakenfold, who she alleged masturbated in front of her on four separate incidents when "aware" that she "could not escape."
In the filing reviewed by EW, Roe, who was 23 at the time of employment, said the unwanted and unwelcomed harassment began immediately, with Oakenfold exposing himself to her on her first day on the job. During another occasion, Oakenfold masturbated in the passenger seat of a car while Roe was driving him home from the post office, she alleged, with the DJ masturbating for "longer periods of time" on each separate date.
Greg Doherty/Getty for iHollywood Film Fest Paul Oakenfold
Roe claimed management presented her with a non-disclosure agreement after she reported Oakenfold, which she signed "under duress." When she returned to work and not as the DJ's assistant, Roe said her hours were "dramatically reduced" before she was ultimately laid off due to "lack of work" in March 2023. "The proffered reason, however, was false, given that Plaintiff was replaced by someone else hired by Oakenfold to fulfill Plaintiff's duties," the filing read.
Roe is seeking damages in excess of $25,000, citing retaliation in violation of California labor codes, harassment, failure to prevent harassment, and discrimination.
"Our client has shown tremendous courage in coming forward about Mr. Oakenfold's sexual harassment," Jonathan M. Genish, an attorney for Roe, said in a statement to EW. "Our legal team is fully committed to holding him and the other defendants accountable for their egregious actions. We hope that this case will continue to shed light on the prevalence of such misconduct and encourage others who have experienced similar acts to reach out and seek justice."
Oakenfold, a producer and DJ who has remixed songs for major artists like Britney Spears, U2, Rolling Stones, and Madonna, denied the allegations in a statement shared on Instagram. "Respect, integrity, and consent are values I hold dear, and I have always treated everyone with utmost professionalism," Oakenfold wrote. "It is disheartening to see these baseless accusations, which appear to be nothing more than a calculated attempt to tarnish my reputation and extort money."
"I am committed to fully cooperating with any investigations to clear my name and will exhaust all legal remedies available," he added.
Representatives for Stepanek did not respond to EW's requests for comment.
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