Judge Orders Deposition of Former KROQ DJ Rodney Bingenheimer

Former KROQ-FM radio personality Rodney “Rodney on the ROQ” Bingenheimer must appear for a deposition in a sexual abuse lawsuit filed against him by the co-founder of the rock band The Runaways, a judge has ruled.

On Friday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Shultz granted plaintiff Kari Krome’s attorney’s motion to compel Bingenheimer’s deposition, and the judge also issued $4,460 in sanctions against the defendant to compensate the plaintiff for the cost of the motion.

“Defendant has not shown any justification for failing to appear at his deposition,” the judge wrote in noting that Bingenheimer has failed to appear at past scheduled sessions and must now do so within 20 days of Friday’s hearing.

Bingenheimer, who is acting as his own attorney, did not appear at the hearing.

Krome’s lawsuit was originally filed in December 2022 using anonymous names, but the full identifications of the parties were listed in a subsequent amended complaint.

Bingenheimer, known as the “Mayor of the Sunset Strip,” hosted “Rodney on the ROQ” from 1976 to 2017. The 77-year-old was also the owner of a popular nightclub, Rodney Bingenheimer’s English Disco. He now hosts a radio show on Little Steven’s Underground Garage channel on SiriusXM.

Co-defendant Kim Fowley was a well-known record producer, songwriter and musician. He also managed The Runaways in the 1970s and died in 2015 at age 75. Joan Jett also was a member of the band, which had a hit song, “Cherry Bomb.”

The suit alleges that after grooming Krome and establishing what she believed to be a foundation of trust, Bingenheimer sexually assaulted her for the first time in his apartment when she was only 13 years old. The alleged molestation continued for months, the suit states.

Bingenheimer allegedly introduced Krome to Fowley, who co-founded the all-girl band the Runaways with Krome.

Shortly after signing Krome to a publishing deal on her 14th birthday, Fowley allegedly sexually assaulted Krome in his Los Angeles apartment and continued to molest her about six more times over the course of the next year, according to the suit.

“I told people about these assaults when they happened and they didn’t want to hear it,” Krome said. “They didn’t want to hurt their careers, or they didn’t want to dispel their illusions about their idols.”

Krome’s suit alleges sexual assault and sexual battery.