Russell Simmons is being sued by a female producer, who alleges the mogul sexually her several years ago.
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Filed today (February 13) by an anonymous Jane Doe, the suit claims Simmons r*ped the woman who was a music video producer at Def Jam Records – the label he helmed at the time.
The assault is said to have taken place in the 1990s.
Per the woman’s account, she went to Simmons’ Manhattan home to secure his approval for a rough cut of a music video. However, while there, the accuser claims that he initiated a “wrestling move,” forcibly pinning her down on his bed, and then proceeded to r*pe her.
An excerpt from the suit read:
“Ms. Doe rejected his advance and told him to ‘get off’ and ‘stop’ several times. She told him she was ‘serious’ and she ‘meant it.’ But Ms. Doe was forcefully pinned, could not move under his weight and Mr. Simmons would not listen to her.”
Simmons has been accused of similar sexual assaults by way of two lawsuits in 2018. The first was dropped for undisclosed reasons and the latter was ruled past the statute of limitations and was therefore deemed unable to proceed in 2020.
The music exec turned yoga guru has gone on record to say he has been in “compromising situations” and apologized for moves that were “thoughtless and insensitive.” However, he has consistently maintained his innocence when it comes to assault and sexual violence.
This latest suit was permitted for filling by way of New York’s Adult Survivors Act and the New York City Gender Motivated Violence Act, both of which recently amended their windows of eligibility to grant potential victims the chance to secure justice.
Legal reps for the present accuser said:
“When Ms. Doe learned about the accounts of the other survivors, she was struck by how similar they were to her own horrible experience at the hands of Mr. Simmons.”
Explaining how the Jane Doe’s life was allegedly affected, they said she was “forever changed” because of the alleged assault and added:
“She was proud of her contributions to the burgeoning musical genre of hip hop, but her hard work and her career in music was disrupted and derailed by Mr. Simmons, a rich and powerful celebrity whose wealth and influence allowed his abusive behavior to go unchallenged for decades.
Now a successful writer and producer in the entertainment industry, Jane Doe’s traumatic experiences with Simmons echo those of so many other women who he has preyed upon for decades.”
Despite her career turnaround, it’s alleged that the Jane Doe “suffered from dissociation, depression and anxiety” – all of which led to her handing in her notice at Def Jam.
In a jaw-dropping present-day addition to the order of events, the suit claimed the Jane Doe attended a yoga class in March 2023 and unintentionally found herself sitting next to Simmons.
Rattled when he allegedly called her name, she asked if it was fine to practice next to him. Simmons is quoted as allegedly saying the following in response:
“Of course. What, do you think I’m gonna try and f*ck you?”
The complaint said of this encounter:
“Ms. Doe was horrified. he realized not only was he unapologetic towards her personally, he did not appreciate that the assault was wrong.”
As of writing, Simmons has yet to respond.