A former personal assistant to Paul Oakenfold has accused the British DJ of sexual harassment and workplace violations in a new lawsuit.
The 24-year-old woman – identified only as Jane Roe – claims that Oakenfold allegedly exposed himself and masturbated in front of her on four separate dates.
This is said to have included her first day working for him in October 2022, after she was assigned by management companies New Frequency Management and Stepanek Management – both run by CEO Paul Stepanek – to work as Oakenfold’s PA for $20 (£16) an hour.
Roe worked out of the home of the Grammy-nominated DJ and producer, who has provided remixes for some of the biggest artists in the world, including Madonna, Britney Spears, the Rolling Stones and Michael Jackson.
The lawsuit was filed by Roe on Friday, Deadline reports, and alleges that both management companies run by Stepanek, Oakenfold and various John Does violated her employment rights.
She is seeking damages in excess of $25,000 (£20,000).
Roe alleges that on one of the four dates specified in her suit, Oakenfold, 59, exposed himself and masturbated four times during the course of that single day and chose his chances when he was ‘aware that Plaintiff could not escape’.
She also claims that he masturbated in her vehicle while she was driving him home for the post office, in reaction to which she ‘froze in fear and shock’ due to being in ‘such close proximity’ to the DJ.
The filing also states that the incidents ‘increased in length and intensity each successive time that Oakenfold cornered Plaintiff and masturbated in Plaintiff’s immediate presence’.
After deciding to report the incidents to management, Roe alleges that she was presented with a non-disclosure agreement to sign.
She also claimed that she was allegedly prevented from returning to work and threatened with firing if she did not sign the NDA.
An email sent by Oakenfold’s manager Paul Stepanek to Roe included in the lawsuit stated that ‘nothing in the agreement would impact your ability to report or discuss sexual harassment’.
Roe’s filing claimed she eventually signed the NDA ‘under duress’ but her hours were ‘dramatically reduced’ before her employment was terminated for ‘lack of [available] work’.
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However, the lawsuit disputes this reason as ‘false’ and claims that she was ‘replaced by someone else hired by Oakenfold to fulfil Plaintiff’s duties’.
On Monday night, Oakenfold told took to his social media to ‘categorically deny any and all claims of improper conduct’.
‘Respect, integrity, and consent are values I hold dear, and I have always treated everyone with utmost professionalism. 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,’ he wrote in a statement on Instagram.
‘I am committed to fully cooperating with any investigations to clear my name and will exhaust all legal remedies available, including the option to countersue, to protect my reputation and seek justice.’
‘Thank you for your unwavering support and understanding during this challenging time,’ he added.
Metro.co.uk has contacted reps for Paul Oakenfold and Paul Stepanek for comment.
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