LA Radio: Judges Orders Deposition for Former KROQ DJ

In a significant development in a sexual abuse lawsuit filed against former KROQ-FM radio personality Rodney Bingenheimer, known as “Rodney on the ROQ,” a Los Angeles Superior Court judge has ordered the 77-year-old to appear for a deposition. 

The ruling, issued by Judge Michael Shultz on Friday comes in response to a motion by the plaintiff, Kari Krome, a co-founder of the 1970s rock band The Runaways. The judge’s decision also imposes $4,460 in sanctions against Bingenheimer to cover the plaintiff’s legal costs for pursuing the motion, citing the defendant’s repeated failure to attend previously scheduled depositions.

In his ruling, Judge Shultz emphasized that Bingenheimer provided “no justification” for avoiding his deposition, underscoring the necessity of his compliance within 20 days of the hearing. Notably, Bingenheimer, who is representing himself in the case, did not attend the Friday hearing, further complicating his legal standing.

The Runaways (1976)

The lawsuit, initially filed anonymously in December 2022, was later amended to fully identify the parties involved. Krome’s allegations center on claims of sexual assault and sexual battery, asserting that Bingenheimer groomed her and initiated a pattern of abuse when she was just 13 years old. 

According to the suit, the first assault occurred in Bingenheimer’s apartment, with the alleged molestation continuing for months. The complaint further alleges that Bingenheimer introduced Krome to Kim Fowley, a prominent record producer, songwriter, and manager of The Runaways, who also allegedly assaulted her.

Krome claims that after signing her to a publishing deal on her 14th birthday, Fowley sexually assaulted her in his Los Angeles apartment and continued to abuse her approximately six more times over the following year. Fowley, who passed away in 2015 at age 75, is named as a co-defendant in the lawsuit.

Bingenheimer, often referred to as the “Mayor of the Sunset Strip,” was a cultural icon in Los Angeles, hosting the influential “Rodney on the ROQ” radio show on KROQ-FM from 1976 to 2017. He currently hosts a show on SiriusXM’s Little Steven’s Underground Garage channel.

The Runaways, co-founded by Krome and managed by Fowley, were a groundbreaking all-female rock band known for their hit song “Cherry Bomb.” The band, which included Joan Jett, gained fame in the 1970s but disbanded in 1979 amid internal conflicts and industry pressures.