Tony Lopez, a TikTok influencer and member of the Hype House, is being sued for allegedly soliciting nude photos from underage girls and sexual abuse.
The lawsuit was filed in a Los Angeles court on the behalf of two teen girls, identified as H.L. Doe and C.H. Doe. Lopez is 21, and he has 22.0 million followers on TikTok and another 7 million on Instagram. The suit claims that Lopez used his star status to solicit the photos, which would be considered child sexual abuse images.
Lopez has denied the allegations in a statement to BuzzFeed News, saying he did not send or request photos and would not have sex with someone who said they were underage.
The lawsuit claims that one of the girls, H.L. Doe, started corresponding with Lopez on Jan. 3, 2020. It says that Lopez "bragged about his fame and wealth" to gain the girl's trust.
The suit says that the two talked via text and Snapchat before Lopez coerced the girl into "unlawful sexual acts with him." It continues that H.L. Doe was 15 at the time but told Lopez, then 20, that she was 16, revealing her true age after the sexual encounter. It says Lopez was aware that the girl was underage during the sexual encounter and that Lopez acknowledged the girl was underage in their communications.
In the case of C.H. Doe, then 16, the court filings say that Lopez met her after she was invited to the Hype House. The suit also named the Hype House and its founder, influencer Thomas Petrou, as well as Chase Hudson and Cole Hudson.
The filings allege the Lopez solicited nude photos from C.H. Doe — which she gave to him. He also asked her to perform sexual acts and sent nude photos of himself to her, according to the suit.
It also claims the girls' lawyers are aware of at least three other underage victims.
In a statement provided to BuzzFeed News by his manager, Lopez said, "These allegations are not at all true. I never sent nudes to these women and didn’t ask them to send me pictures either. And, I certainly wouldn’t have sex with someone who told me they were underage."
"This whole thing seems like a money grab to me. I’m going to fight it to the very end. I will not allow them to continue to slander my name and attack my character."
Lopez has previously been accused of sexual misconduct with underage girls. In a statement shared on social media, he did not directly deny the accusations but said he was "extremely irresponsible" and disappointed in himself.
In early 2020, nude photos of Lopez were leaked, which he talked about in a YouTube video.