A former personal assistant for Paul Oakenfold has accused the British DJ of sexual harassment and workplace violations in a new lawsuit, Deadline reports, which he denies and describes as baseless.
The 24-year-old woman, known as Jane Roe, alleges that Oakenfold masturbated in front of her on her first day working for him in October 2022, and on three subsequent occasions, “when Oakenfold was aware that Plaintiff could not escape”, the lawsuit claims.
On one of those occasions, in November 2022, the DJ allegedly masturbated in front of her four times in one day; Roe also alleged that he once did so in her vehicle. Roe “froze in fear and shock while being in such close proximity to Oakenfold,” the claim states, adding that the incidents “increased in length and intensity each successive time that Oakenfold cornered Plaintiff and masturbated in Plaintiff’s immediate presence.”
Oakenfold responded to the allegations with a statement on social media. “I categorically deny any and all claims of improper conduct,” he wrote. “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.”
Roe worked for Oakenfold in his home for $20 per hour. After the final incident, in which Oakenfold allegedly expressed anger towards Roe, the woman said she feared “not only continuing sexual harassment” but that she “would suffer physical escalation of the sexual harassment or other repercussions” if forced to continue working for the DJ.
Roe reported the incident to Oakenfold’s management on 29 November 2022 and said she was asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement. When she did not sign, she alleges that she was prevented from returning to work and threatened with firing. An email sent by Oakenfold’s manager Paul Stepanek to Roe stated that “nothing in the agreement would impact your ability to report or discuss sexual harassment”.
The lawsuit states that she eventually signed it “under duress”. When she returned to work for the management company, she did not work again with Oakenfold.
The Guardian has contacted Oakenfold and Stepanek for comment.
Roe claims that her hours were reduced and that she was let go in March 2023 for “a lack of [available] work”. The lawsuit disputes this claim as “false”, stating that Roe was “replaced by someone else hired by Oakenfold to fulfil” her duties.
The lawsuit alleges that Stepanek “bragged about his insurance policies to protect him from being sued over Oakenfold or being found ‘guilty by association’”, leading Roe to believe that the DJ “previously had several other assistants … and there was high turnover, likely because of the rampant sexual harassment.”
Roe seeks damages in excess of $25,000. Her complaint also alleges that Oakenfold, various John Does, New Frequency Management and Paul Stepanek Management, both run by Stepanek, violated her employment rights.
Oakenfold, 59, was a noted A&R for Champion Records in the 1980s, where he signed DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince and Salt-N-Pepa. After a trip to Ibiza in the late 80s, he launched the leading UK acid house night Spectrum, held at London nightclub Heaven.
He became a noted remixer, initially under the name Perfecto, and co-produced the third Happy Mondays album, Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches. In 1999, he became the first DJ to play the main stage at Glastonbury. He has remixed for artists including Britney Spears, Madonna, Adele, Muse and Take That.
