When was Bassnectar sued? DJ and producer settles s*xual abuse lawsuit 

Electronic music producer Bassnectar reached a confidential settlement in a lawsuit alleging that he s*xually abused three minor girls. The complaint was dismissed with prejudice, which means it cannot be refiled, according to court records filed on February 18 in the U.S. District Court in Tennessee.

According to the complaint, which was filed by Jenna Houston, Rachel Ramsbottom, and Alexis Bowling, Bassnectar, whose real name is Lorin Ashton, allegedly used his:

"power and influence to groom and ultimately s*xualize victimize underage girls"

According to the plaintiffs, he gave minors:

"large sums of cash and other items of value"

in exchange for s*x and invited them to his concerts. They also charged him with negligence, child p*rnography and s*x trafficking.

The Instagram account @evidenceagainstbassnectar, which gathered allegations of s*xual assault from several women, was the initial source of accusations against Bassnectar in 2020. In the same year, he denied allegations and declared he intended to accept:

"repsonsibility and accountability"

by taking an indefinite break from his music career.

The three women sued the next year, describing their allegations of s*xual assault and grooming. One of the accusers allegedly started communicating with Ashton in 2012 when she was 17 and he was 34, according to Ramsbottom. She told him she was eighteen at first, but then she revealed her actual age. She said that after inviting her to a hotel in Memphis, he had s*x with her and then gave her a

"wad of money"

that he had taken out of his luggage.

Ashton refuted the allegations and requested that the lawsuit be dropped, claiming that the plaintiffs had given false information about their age. As stated by the U.S. District Court Judge Aleta A. Trauger in December 2024:

“The court finds that whether this money constituted payment or remuneration for s*x constitutes a jury question.”

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Settlement reached before trial

Before the planned trial, Ashton and the plaintiffs came to a private deal despite his prior determination to establish his innocence in court. Both parties indicated a want to proceed amicably in a joint statement, acknowledging the stress of the drawn legal procedure.

According to the statement:

“This legal process has been long and difficult, with all parties already having endured a tremendous amount of strain on their personal and professional lives. As such, they have amicably decided to resolve this matter and move on in peace. Plaintiffs wish Lorin Ashton and the Bassnectar Community a bright future, and Lorin Ashton wishes the Plaintiff a bright future."

Ashton restated his rejection of any misconduct in a statement to Billboard.

He stated:

“I am relieved to be able to put this behind me once and for all. To be clear, I did not engage in any of the wrongdoing of which I was accused in this lawsuit. I have never abused or assaulted anyone in any way, shape, or form. I have also never been charged with any crimes."

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Bassnectar's Career and Public Backlash

Bassnectar has made efforts to return to music since leaving the spotlight in 2020, but his attempts have been controversial. He made a comeback to public performance in 2023 with a carefully planned concert in Las Vegas. He then scheduled performances in Asheville, North Carolina. However, the venue canceled within 24 hours owing to a public outcry. He has now started a subscriber-only content platform called The Other Side and organized events in Miami and Times Square in New York.

On several occasions, Ashton has denounced cancel culture calling it:

"a modern form of domestic terrorism."

He said:

"Cancel culture does not care about the truth,"

Whether Bassnectar manages to resurrect his career remains to be seen.